What is the difference between ‘reviled’ and ‘criticised’?
First, let us deal with the pronunciation of ‘revile’. The first vowel sounds like the ‘i’ in ‘fit’ and ‘bit’, and the following syllable rhymes with ‘file’ and ‘mile’. The word is pronounced ‘ri-VILE’ with the stress on the second syllable. During the course of our life, we are all ‘criticised’ for something or the other. The criticism may come from a single individual or from many, and it may vary in intensity — it could be mild or very strong. We all get criticised, but not all of us are reviled in the course of our lifetime. When someone is reviled, people express their contempt for the individual in no uncertain terms — the criticism tends to be very strong and at times the people may even resort to using abusive language.
If you say, your neighbour is reviled, what you are suggesting is that most people in your neighbourhood don’t like him — and they don’t hesitate in letting him know they can’t stand him. It is not just one or two people who dislike him.
In many countries, politicians are reviled for their callous behaviour.
