speak ill of

verb

To vilify; to defame; to criticize.

Similar
demonizedenigratetalk shitassassinateaspersebackbitebadmouthbefoul
Opposite
speak well ofbrush up tocollogueflatterflatterize
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Meanings

verbspeak ill of (third-person singular simple present speaks ill of, present participle speaking ill of, simple past spoke ill of, past participle spoken ill of)

present singular third person speaks ill of · participle present speaking ill of · past spoke ill of · participle past spoken ill of

  1. To vilify; to defame; to criticize.

    Jimmy Carter was the first former president to speak ill of a sitting president while on foreign soil

    2010 March, R Emmett Tyrrell Jr, “The Lost Liberals”, in American Spectator, volume 43, number 2, page 70

    Synonyms: demonize, denigrate, talk shit, assassinate, asperse, backbite, badmouth, befoul · Antonyms: speak well of, brush up to, collogue, flatter, flatterize, glaver, gloze, jolly

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo vilify; to defame; to criticize.

Similar
demonizedenigratetalk shitassassinateaspersebackbitebadmouthbefoulbelibelbesmirchbesmearbewrayblackenblameblazeblemishblotblurcalumniatecalumny
Opposite
speak well ofbrush up tocollogueflatterflatterizeglaverglozejollylay it on thickmake fair weatherpalaverpreenpuffsoothespeak well ofstroketickle the ear
Also see
defame

Translations

Ancient Greek κακηγορέω
  • κακηγορέω (kakēgoréō)to vilify
Finnish puhua pahaa
  • puhua pahaato vilify
French dire du mal de, médire de
  • dire du mal deto vilify
  • médire deto vilify
Māori taiaroa
  • taiaroato vilify
Cite this entry
APA

speak ill of. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/speak%20ill%20of

MLA

“speak ill of.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/speak%20ill%20of. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “speak ill of,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/speak%20ill%20of.

Source: speak ill of on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.