vilipend

vilipend

English

Etymology

From Middle English vilipenden, from Old French vilipender, from Latin vilipendō, from vīlis (“worthless”) + pendō (“to consider, weigh”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈvɪləˌpɛnd/

Verb

vilipend (third-person singular simple present vilipends, present participle vilipending, simple past and past participle vilipended)

1. To despise.
2. To express a disparaging opinion of; to slander or vilify.
   • 1853, July 10. "Evil Birds", The Colonist (Nelson, New Zealand): page 4:

     But we desire, most unhesitatingly to condemn and vilipend a system of continual abuse, intended to fall upon the provincial Government, but in reality reaching and injuring the public at large.

   • 1917, O. W. Firkins, The Nation, The Nation Company, page 176:

     But, for all their feint of nonchalance, these young persons have no other task in life but to explain and extol their own conduct and to vilipend their critics and opponents.

Synonyms

• belittle
• derogate
• misprize

Translations

despise

Dutch: verachten (nl) French: mépriser (fr)

Italian: vilipendere (it) Russian: презира́ть (ru) (prezirátʹ)

disparage

French: dénigrer (fr) Italian: vilipendere (it), diffamare (it), oltraggiare (it)

Russian: поро́чить (ru) (poróčitʹ), клевета́ть (ru) (klevetátʹ)