vile

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /vaɪl/ UK /vaɪl/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like bile /v/ vs /b/ Sounds like wile /v/ vs /w/

Meanings

1

adj
extremely unpleasant, wicked, or morally despicable

The dungeon gave off a vile stench of rot and damp.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · extremely unpleasant,... despicable wicked loathsome repugnant odious base

Opposites

noble admirable virtuous worthy pleasant

Word family

Forms vilelyvileness

Derived forms vilelyvilenessvilify

Related forms vilify revile

Etymology

From Old French 'vil' ('shameful, cheap, base'), from Latin 'vilis' ('cheap, worthless, base').

vil Old French vilis Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# vile

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /vaɪl/
**IPA (UK):** /vaɪl/

## Meanings
1. extremely unpleasant, wicked, or morally despicable

## Examples
- The dungeon gave off a vile stench of rot and damp.

## Synonyms
- despicable
- wicked
- loathsome
- repugnant
- odious
- base

## Antonyms
- noble
- admirable
- virtuous
- worthy
- pleasant

## Derived Forms
- vilely
- vileness
- vilify

## Related Forms
- vilify
- revile

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: vil
- Root: vilis

## Etymology
From Old French 'vil' ('shameful, cheap, base'), from Latin 'vilis' ('cheap, worthless, base').

## AI Etymology
Vile comes from Old French 'vil' ('shameful, cheap, base'), from Latin 'vilis' ('cheap, worthless, base'). In current use it is an adjective meaning "extremely unpleasant, wicked, or morally despicable". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The history is mainly one of transmission into English, with the older form and sense carried through borrowing or adaptation. The historical chain includes Old French vil and Latin vilis. Related English forms include vilify and revile. Derived forms include vilely, vileness, and vilify. For dictionary purposes, the important point is the continuity between the older form, the route into English, and the present lexical sense.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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