VILIPENDING Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

vilipending

verb

present participle of vilipend

as in dismissing

to express scornfully one's low opinion of one of those elitists who regularly vilipends popular culture

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for vilipending

Verb

Petersen allegedly deferred to a male sergeant’s expertise on topics including firearms and internal affairs while dismissing Kennon’s expertise in other areas.

— Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 22 Aug. 2026
With the commander-in-chief and defense secretary now dismissing those reports as false, Congress should require a bipartisan committee of former military members to visit the ship.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of dismissing

Verb

That’s no problem for them, because the failures occur years after the discussions, minimizing the political risk to those who voted for these misguided plans.

— Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 19 Aug. 2026
Patagonia, for example, has long organized itself around a commitment to minimizing its impact on the planet.

— Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of minimizing

Verb

In the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, France's initial mediating role gave way to a pro-Armenia stance, alienating Baku and diminishing its leverage with Yerevan, which now increasingly favors the US.

— Kamran Bokhari, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
During Anahulu Ho Emi, the third and final phase, the focus is diminishing, surrendering and reflecting.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of diminishing

Verb

For decades, El Capitan has kicked off the high school football season with the Vaquero Run, with players running down Maine Avenue in Lakeside.

— John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Ace also has video of him running down the speedy Deshonne Redeaux last season to prevent a touchdown against Oaks Christian.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of running down

Verb

But as his brace against Uzbekistan showed, writing off Ronaldo remains a dangerous mistake.

— Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
So, before writing off a sluggish job candidate search as a market issue, take a hard look at the listing itself, from the title to the requirements, the compensation and the hiring process.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 23 June 2026

Definition of writing off

Verb

Leadership training disputes The lawsuit alleges Petersen began subjecting Kennon to discriminatory treatment around January 2024, including talking down to her, ignoring her and questioning her judgment.

— Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 22 Aug. 2026
Any emphasis in his Jackson Hole address on his commitment to 2% inflation could help in talking down long bond yields.

— Sarah Min, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of talking down

Verb

In response to the concerns, companies including Amazon and Microsoft have been playing down the issue, saying the data center water use can be done responsibly, or sourced from wastewater.

— Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026
If a team has one or zero subs left, a red-card offence would result in them playing down a man.

— The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Definition of playing down

Verb

Criticizing the actions of the Israeli prime minister, a military technology contract, or the executives who supply it is not the same as criticizing Jewish people.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 22 Aug. 2026
McCain has often spoken out against the British royal family and Markle, in particular, routinely criticizing her on the Happy Hour talk series during the 2025 release of Markle’s docuseries With Love, Meghan.

— Mariel Turner, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of criticizing

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.

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vilipended

vilipending

vilipends

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“Vilipending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vilipending. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of vilipending

verb

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