VILIFY

v. depreciate, devalue, deprecate, debase, disparage, denigrate, diminish, traduce, defame, speak ill of, revile, slander, libel, abuse, defile, sully, smear, tarnish, malign, calumniate, asperse, run down, decry, Rare vilipend, Colloq US bad-mouth His political and religious views became notorious and were often vilified