v. Also 5–8 vilifie, 7 villifie, 8 -fy; 6 vilefy, 7 villefie. [ad. late L. vīlificāre (Jerome), f. vīlis VILE a.: see -(I)FY. Hence also It. vilificare, Pr., Pg. vilificar.]
1. trans. To lower or lessen in worth or value; to reduce to a lower standing or level; to make of little (or less) account or estimation. Also refl.
Freq. in the 17th c.; now rare or Obs.
(a) c. 1450. trans. De Imitatione, III. ix. 76. If …. I vilifie myself & bringe me to nouȝt,… & make me dust as I am, þi grace shal be merciful to me.
1617. Moryson, Itin., III. 85. He who vilifies himselfe, doth not thereby save one penny.
1630. Brathwait, Eng. Gentlem. (1641), 21. Who humbled himself in the forme of man…: vilifying himself to make man like himself.
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., lxii. 253. The recompenses which God hath promised to those that vilify themselves to serve him.
a. 1684. Leighton, Comm. 1 Peter i. 23 (1850), 212. Are you not born to a better inheritance?… Why then do you vilify yourselves?
(b) 1604. T. Wright, Passions, V. § 4. 251. Long delayes and many suites vilifie the giftes;… for … it is bought dearely, which is purchased with long prayers.
1645. Milton, Tetrach., Wks. 1851, IV. 157. Such a mariage, wherin the minde is so disgrac’t and vilify’d below the bodies interest,… is not of Gods institution.
1654. R. Whitlock, Ζωοτομια, 448. Though seeming Commendations,… yet … enough to vilifie, and cheapen the Noblest Merit.
1677. Govt. Venice, 129. The Republick of Venice not only detains their Dukes Prisoners in their Palace,… but it daily retrenches their Priviledges, to vilifie them the more.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), II. 29. It would vilify, and, I may say, vulgarize the Almighty, to imagine him resident among ourselves.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., 147. The wealth and pride of individuals … makes the man of humble rank and fortune sensible of his inferiority, and degrades and vilifies his condition.
1835. I. Taylor, Spir. Despot., v. 207. When [a hierarchy’s] distinctions of rank are of such vast compass as to vilify the humbler clerical orders.
† b. To make morally vile; to degrade; also, to defile or dirty. Obs.
1615. J. Taylor (Water P.), Taylor’s Rev., Wks. (1630), II. 146/1. Such Motley, Medley, Linsey-Woolsey speeches Would sure haue made thee vilifie thy breeches.
1619. H. Hutton, Follie’s Anat. (Percy Soc.), 19. You vilifie your selfe with endlesse shame, Imposing scandall to each poet’s name.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 513. Thir Makers Image … then Forsook them, when themselves they villifi’d To serve ungovern’d appetite.
1684. Contempl. St. Man, I. iv. (1699), 38. Altho’ the Soul be of it self of a most Noble Substance, yet his Vices do so much vilifie it, that he makes it more abominable than the Body.
1781. [see VILIFYING ppl. a.].
absol. 1749. Chesterf., Lett. (1774), I. 440. Nothing vilifies and degrades more than pride.
† c. To bring disgrace or dishonor upon. Obs.
1651. Baxter, Inf. Bapt., 139. The Anabaptists … resisting the most painfull godly Ministers, and reproaching and vilifying them, by their wicked lives.
1656. Earl Monm., trans. Boccalini’s Advts. fr. Parnass., I. lxxxvii. (1674), 117. [They] blush to think that their Ancestors have so shamefully vilified their house.
1674. trans. Scheffer’s Lapland, ix. 34. Their Priests, who either take no care of instructing the people, or vilify their doctrine by the sordidness of their lives.
1749. Smollett, Regicide, II. x. Heav’n shall not see A deed so abject vilify my name.
2. † a. To depreciate or disparage in discourse; to talk slightingly or contemptuously of. Obs. (passing into next).
1586. Day, Eng. Secretary, I. (1595), 77. Your Vncles care, was by vilefying his wealth vnto you … to purchase for you the endowment of a farre more greater and assured treasure.
1629. H. Burton, Truth’s Triumph, 288. The Pontifician so much depressing and vilifying his owne indisposition.
1645. Pagitt, Heresiogr. (ed. 2), 71. As these Sectaries villefie others, so they magnifie themselves.
1667. Anne Wyndham, King’s Concealm. (1681), 53. Some envious persons have sought to diminish and vilifie the faithful services which the Colonel … performed.
1691. Ray, Creation, I. (1692), 162. To disparage, deride, and vilifie those Studies which themselves skill not of.
1736. Butler, Anal., II. iii. Wks. 1874, I. 180. I express myself with caution, lest I should be mistaken to vilify reason.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 117, ¶ 1. The disposition of vulgar minds to ridicule and vilify what they cannot comprehend.
b. To depreciate with abusive or slanderous language; to defame or traduce; to speak evil of.
1598. Marston, Sco. Villanie, Prol. (1599), 168. When I once hear … some span-new come fry Of Innes a-court striuing to vilefy My dark reproofes.
1624. Gataker, Transubst., 51. After he hath thus spent some part of his railing Rhetorick in traducing and vilifying this Protestantical Divine his Adversary.
1659. T. Pecke, Parnass. Puerp., 175. Mother-in-Lawes, Poets much Vilifie.
1670. Baxter, Cure Ch. Div., Concl. Pref. § 5. Not … to hate and flye from one another; nor to vilifie and backbite one another.
1713. Steele, Englishman, No. 13. 83. I have really taken a secret Pleasure in seeing him employed in villifying me.
a. 1720. Sewel, Hist. Quakers (1795), I. IV. 348. One of those persons whom even his enemies could not vilify without praising him.
1764. T. Hutchinson, Hist. Mass., iii. (1765), 351. Randolph, in return, vilified Dudley, in a great number of letters.
1842. Borrow, Bible in Spain, xxxviii. The priestly party … spared no effort to vilify me.
1850. Mrs. Jamieson, Leg. Monast. Ord. (1863), 115. He was slandered and vilified by the corrupt monks.
1889. G. C. Brodrick, in Oxf. Chron., 11 May, 7/7. Those who had devoted their whole influence to vilifying such a remedial policy.
absol. a. 1854. H. Reed, Lect. Eng. Lit., iv. (1855), 439. So artfully does he misrepresent them, so vehemently does he.
† 3. To regard as worthless or of little value; to contemn or despise. Obs. (Common in 17th c.)
1598. Marston, Sco. Villanie, III. x. (1599), 223. Opinion mounts this froth vnto the skies, Whom iudgemente reason iustly vilifies.
1641. Baker, Chron., Hen. I., 60. A private man, vilified, and thought to have but little in him.
1652–62. Heylyn, Cosmogr., IV. (1682), 64. Gold here so vilified that they exchange it gladly for Brass.
1671. Trenchfield, Cap Gray Hairs (1688), 40. For no man but vilifies that person in his own estimate, who is loose bodied upon that account.
† 4. intr. To become common or worthless; to lose value. Obs.–1
a. 1654. Binning, Sinners Sanctuary, X. Wks. (1735), 210/1. It is Ignorance that magnifies Other Mysteries, which vilify through Knowledge.
Hence Vilified ppl. a.; Vilifying vbl. sb. and ppl. a.; Vilifyingly adv.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xiv. He knows how willingly Clement Blair will lay down a *vilified life upon earth.
1611. Bible, Transl. Pref., ¶ 12. Their second defence of their *vilifying and abusing of the English Bibles.
1643. Chas. I., Proclam., Wks. 1662, II. 345. To countenance the vilifying of the Book of Common Prayer.
1676. Hale, Contempl., II. 183. In the midst of all the … Vilifyings that the World heaps upon me.
1663. Patrick, Parab. Pilgr., xv. I will not recite all the *vilifying language … which he was affronted with.
1705. Stanhope, Paraphr., I. 81. That vilifying Malice and Contempt, which Proud and Profligate People … let fly at Them and their Office.
1781. J. Moore, View Soc. It. (1790), II. I. 68. Free from all the villifying effects of dirt.
1682. Bunyan, Holy War, 203. Thou didst also teach the Town of Mansoul to speak contemptuously, and *vilifyingly of their great King Shaddai.
