vilipend

verb — 2 senses

vilipend

verb

UK /ˈvɪlɪpɛnd/ · US /ˈvɪləˌpɛnd/

Etymology

From Middle English vilipenden (“to treat (something) as contemptible”) [and other forms], from Old French vilipender (modern French vilipender (“to condemn, despise, revile, scorn, vilipend, vilify”)), or its etymon Latin vilipendō, from vīlis (“cheap, inexpensive; base, mean, vile, worthless”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wes- (“to buy, sell”)) + pendō (“to hang, suspend; to weigh, weigh out; (figuratively) to consider, ponder”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- (“to stretch”)). The English word is cognate with Italian vilipendere (“to despise, scorn, vilipend”), Portuguese vilipendiar (“to vilify”), Spanish vilipendiar (“to vilify”).

1

Dated, Formal To treat (something) as inconsequential or worthless; to despise, to look down on.

2

Dated, Formal To express a disparaging opinion of; to slander or vilify.

  • 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.1853 July 10, “Evil Birds”, in The Colonist, New Zealand: Nelson, page 4:
  • 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.1917, O. W. Firkins, The Nation, The Nation Company, page 176:
Derived terms
vilipended, vilipender, vilipending
Related terms
vilification, vilifier, vilify

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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