revile
/rɪˈvaɪl/
verb
Origin
Old French
reviler — to treat as vile, to hold in contempt
Overview
Meaning Now
- To criticize in an abusive or scornfully insulting manner.
Literal older meaning
To bring back to a state of vileness or to treat as vile.
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
revilen
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term stems from the Latin 'vilis', meaning cheap or worthless. By adding the 're-' prefix, the word evolved in Old French to signify an active process of casting someone as vile or treating them with intense contempt.
Evolution
- Latin
vilis
“cheap, base, worthless”
- Old French
reviler
“to treat as vile”
- Middle English
revilen
“to speak abusively to”
- Modern English
revile
“to criticize with abusive language”
Connections
Word parts
re-
prefix
intensive or contrary action
vile
root
base, wicked, or unpleasant
Related across languages
French
avilir
to debase
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Related to revile
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.