vil

beel/bil/

“vil” means “vile” in Spanish (describing a morally low or despicable action).

vile, despicable

Also: base, mean

Adjectivem or fB2formal

General

A shadowy figure in a dark cloak stealing a small loaf of bread from a hungry child's basket.

📝 In Action

Fue un acto vil que nadie pudo perdonar.

It was a vile act that no one could forgive.

El villano tenía un plan vil para engañar a todo el pueblo.

The villain had a despicable plan to trick the whole town.

No seas tan vil de traicionar a tus propios amigos.

Don't be so mean as to betray your own friends.

Word Connections

Synonyms

despreciable (despicable)
ruin (mean/contemptible)
bajo (low/base)

Antonyms

noble (noble)
digno (worthy)
honorable (honorable)

Common Collocations

un acto vil – a vile act
una mentira vil – a despicable lie
una traición vil – a base betrayal

Idioms & Expressions

pagar con moneda vil – To respond to a favor with ingratitude or bad behavior

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "vil" in Spanish:

base→despicable→mean→vile→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: vil

Question 1 of 3

Which of these situations best describes a 'vil' act?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

vileza(vileness/meanness) — Noun

envilecer(to degrade or make vile) — Verb

vilmente(vilely/despicably) — Adverb

🎵 Rhymes▼

mil sutil carril perfil

📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'vilis,' which originally meant 'cheap' or 'of little value.' Over time, the meaning shifted from a low financial value to a low moral value.

First recorded: 12th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: vileFrench: vilItalian: vile

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'vil' a common word in daily Spanish?

Can I use 'vil' to mean something is ugly?

Is 'vil' related to the word 'villano' (villain)?