Word of the Day: Vial and Vile

Vial

vi-al / ˈvī(ə)l

noun

1.      a small container typically made of glass, meant for holding liquids

…whether you take poison from a vial or pour it into Bavarian crystal, it is still poison.

Maya Angelou, 1928-2014

Vile

vile / vīl

adjective

1.      morally despicable

A beautiful shell that houses a vile soul becomes sullied over time.

from ‘Defy’ by Sara B. Larson, ?-

2.      very unpleasant

We sing, but oh the clay is vile

Beneath our feet, and long the mile;

But let the world dream otherwise,

We wear the mask!

from ‘The Lyrics of Lowly Life’ by Paul Laurence Dunbar, 1872-1906

3.      foul; filthy

They used vile language around him constantly.

from ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens’ by Sean Covey, 1964-

4.      of low condition; common

It was a truly vile place, and only ever became worse as the centuries rolled by.

Dan Davis, ?-

5.      obnoxious

A vile and overbearing temper becomes sometimes, in one long accustomed to the exercise of power, unendurable to those who are subject to its humors.

Samuel Freeman Miller, 1816-1890