Meanings
present singular third person reviles · participle present reviling · participle past reviled · past reviled
- ambitransitiveTo attack (someone) with abusive language.
And did not she herself revile me there?
c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]2 more examples
who, when he was reviled, reviled not again
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Peter 2:23He turned and quivered like a child, this worthless man that I reviled. And at his anguish, I just smiled a grin of mastery.
2011, Felix Hagan, “Vengeance On My Mind”, in Dawn Breaks, the Monster Wakes...Synonyms: abuse, call names, vituperate, abuse, call names, flame, name-call, vitriol
- obsoleteuncountablereproach; reviling
The gracious Judge, without revile, replied.
1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo attack (someone) with abusive language.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Frenchaviler“to make vile or cheap, disprize, disesteem”
- Middle Englishrevilen
- Englishrevile
From Middle English revilen, from re + Old French aviler (“to make vile or cheap, disprize, disesteem”), from a- (“to”) + vil (“vile, cheap”); see vile.
More words from Middle English, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek λοιδορέω, βλασφημέω
- λοιδορέω (loidoréō)to attack with abusive language
- βλασφημέω (blasphēméō)to attack with abusive language
- κακορροθέω (kakorrhothéō)to attack with abusive language
Bulgarian ругая, хокам
- ругая (rugaja)to attack with abusive language
- хокам (hokam)to attack with abusive language
- хокане (hokane)reproach
Catalan insultar
- insultarto attack with abusive language
Chinese Mandarin 斥責 /斥责, 辱罵 /辱骂
- 斥責 /斥责 (chìzé)to attack with abusive language
- 辱罵 /辱骂 (rǔmà)to attack with abusive language
- 謾罵 /谩骂 (mànmà)to attack with abusive language
Czech zlořečit, nadávat
- zlořečitto attack with abusive language
- nadávatto attack with abusive language
- hanobitto attack with abusive language
- spílatto attack with abusive language
- tupitto attack with abusive language
Dutch uitschelden
- uitscheldento attack with abusive language
Esperanto insulti
- insultito attack with abusive language
Finnish herjata, solvata
- herjatato attack with abusive language
- solvatato attack with abusive language
French insulter
- insulterto attack with abusive language
German schmähen, beschimpfen
- schmähento attack with abusive language
- beschimpfento attack with abusive language
- verunglimpfento attack with abusive language
- stänkern gegento attack with abusive language
Hungarian ócsárol, szidalmaz
- ócsárolto attack with abusive language
- szidalmazto attack with abusive language
- becsmérelto attack with abusive language
- gyalázto attack with abusive language
- sértegetto attack with abusive language
- pocskondiázto attack with abusive language
Irish imdhearg
- imdheargto attack with abusive language
Italian insultare, vituperare
- insultareto attack with abusive language
- vituperareto attack with abusive language
Māori whakarihariha
- whakariharihato attack with abusive language
Polish piętnować, napiętnować
- piętnowaćto attack with abusive language
- napiętnowaćto attack with abusive language
- lżyćto attack with abusive language
- zelżyćto attack with abusive language
Portuguese insultar
- insultarto attack with abusive language
Romanian ocărî, huli
- ocărîto attack with abusive language
- hulito attack with abusive language
Russian поноси́ть
- поноси́ть (ponosítʹ)to attack with abusive language
Spanish insultar, putear
- insultarto attack with abusive language
- putearto attack with abusive language
- injuriarto attack with abusive language
- denigrarto attack with abusive language
- vilipendiarto attack with abusive language
- reprocharto attack with abusive language
- denostarto attack with abusive language
Swedish smäda, skymfa
- smädato attack with abusive language
- skymfato attack with abusive language
- hånato attack with abusive language
- åkvädato attack with abusive language
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with revile
Anagrams
Cite this entry
revile. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/revile
“revile.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/revile. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “revile,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/revile.
Source: revile on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.