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vile

(vīl)

adj. vil·er, vil·est

1. Morally depraved; ignoble or wicked: a vile traitor; vile accusations.

a. Disgusting; repulsive: vile effluent running down the city streets.

b. Unpleasant or objectionable: vile weather. See Synonyms at offensive.

3. Miserably poor and degrading; wretched: a vile existence.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin vīlis, cheap, worthless; see wes-³ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

vilely adv.

vileness n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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