1
as in evil
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable a vile plot to murder their political enemies

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective vile contrast with its synonyms?

The words base and low are common synonyms of vile. While all three words mean "deserving of contempt because of the absence of higher values," vile, the strongest of these words, tends to suggest disgusting depravity or filth.

a vile remark

When can base be used instead of vile?

The words base and vile are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, base stresses the ignoble and may suggest cruelty, treachery, greed, or grossness.

base motives

When is low a more appropriate choice than vile?

The meanings of low and vile largely overlap; however, low may connote crafty cunning, vulgarity, or immorality and regularly implies an outraging of one's sense of decency or propriety.

refused to listen to such low talk

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of vile But here’s the hard truth: the First Amendment protects vile, hateful speech, not just popular opinions. Bob Shaw, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2025 The second my status came into question, the vile comments on my worthiness came out, and those comments are telling. Sonam Sheth gabe Whisnant billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025 The Baloncesto Superior Nacional league announced Tuesday that Cousins was kicked off the Mets de Guaynabo after a vile gesture toward a fan, grabbing his genitals to mock the fan as the fan flipped both his middle fingers. Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2025 Today's extradition is a giant step forward in holding the defendant accountable for his unspeakably reprehensible and vile efforts to spread fear, chaos, and hate. Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for vile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vile
Adjective
  • From the twins and their parents to evil fiancées and housekeepers, the characters have gained a cult following since their release, with some fans using them as inspiration for their outfits, summer mood boards, and interior design.
    Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2025
  • Historically, antisemitic conspiracy theories have revolved around the idea that a shadowy and evil Jewish elite secretly controls the world, and ritualistic child abuse is a common trope within them.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • Her somewhat implausible problem is that her bad feelings—her irritation, her boredom—never register as such because of her beauty, her wealth, and her pedigree; so great is her beauty that even her nastiest moods feel like a sunny glow to others.
    Claire Jarvis, New Yorker, 8 July 2025
  • But use kind humor, not nasty or deprecating humor.
    Davia Temin, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
Adjective
  • Confirmation bias rears its ugly head, and the person convinces themselves that AI sentience is at hand.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
  • And by sharing the ugly parts, she's made golf feel more human.
    Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
Adjective
  • The Mann Act, also known as the White-Slave Traffic Act of 1910, is a federal law that prohibits the interstate or foreign transportation of individuals for prostitution or other immoral activities.
    KiMi Robinson, USA Today, 3 July 2025
  • Swaggart, in July 1986, had accused a megachurch rival, New Orleans First Assembly of God Pastor Marvin Gorman, of committing immoral acts with a number of women over a period of years.
    Frank E. Lockwood, Arkansas Online, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • Employees get their hands dirty in the intro course by learning how to prompt, then move to more advanced courses on building custom GPTs and agents.
    Melissa Daimler, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
  • Environmentalists and labor rights activists have complained that China's graphite mining and production is dirty and dangerous.
    Rick Barrett, jsonline.com, 7 July 2025
Adjective
  • Luthor combats Superman through a combination of science and technology — injecting nanobot GPS trackers into Superman’s bloodstream — using methods that recall the hideous Covid manipulation.
    Armond White, National Review, 11 July 2025
  • The dark edge in Bushnell’s writing reflects less a brave new world than a world that is the hideous extension of the old one.
    Alice Bolin June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • In a brief unsigned opinion, the Supreme Court said that the injunction issued by the district court was based on its view that Mr. Trump's executive order and directives from the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management implementing that action are unlawful.
    July 8, CBS News, 8 July 2025
  • The dad was charged with violating his probation, parental kidnapping, endangering the welfare of a child and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to the news release.
    Kate Linderman July 8, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2025
Adjective
  • Politics remains a cruel business and the governor has been on the frontline of it for nearly 20 years, winning and losing.
    Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2025
  • They were joined by actors playing the contestants, who lurched along wearing expressions of exaggerated horror, as though the cruel stakes of the game had just been revealed to them.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Vile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vile. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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