villain

noun

vil·​lain ˈvi-lən 

1

: a character in a story or play who opposes the hero

2

: a deliberate scoundrel or criminal

3

: one blamed for a particular evil or difficulty

… witness the wolf, at once ecological hero and agricultural villain.

—Ben Goldfarb

4

: villein

5

: an uncouth person : boor

Synonyms of villain

• brute
• monster
• criminal
• devil
• savage
• offender
• scoundrel
• beast
• bandit
• assassin

Examples of villain in a Sentence

He plays the villain in most of his movies.

She describes her first husband as a villain who treated her terribly.

Don't try to make me the villain. It's your own fault that you're having these problems.

Recent Examples on the Web

On a journey to protect the fate of her children, Eliza is thrust into a perilous race through London’s dark underworld, where she is confronted by an unexpected villain. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2026

The new movie introduces Robert Pattinson as Scytale, shape-shifting villain who attempts to kill and overthrow Chalamet’s space emperor Paul Atreides. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026

Harley’s journey to becoming a villain is tied to her romantic relationship with the Joker, who has not yet been introduced. — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026

Clayface embraces body horror to tell the origin story of the eponymous Batman villain. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vilain, vilein, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin villanus, from Latin villa

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Rhymes for villain

• millon
• amoxicillin
• carbenicillin
• ampicillin
• methicillin
• penicillin
• pyroxylin
• vanillin

Kids Definition

villain

noun

vil·​lain ˈvil-ən 

1

: villein

2

: an evil person : scoundrel

3

: a character in a story or play who opposes the hero