bad guy
noun
1
informal
: the villain in a story : baddie
played the bad guy in the movie
2
informal
: someone who is likened to the villain in a story: such as
a
: a criminal
Designed to keep guns out of the hands of bad guys and children …—
Popular Science
Popular Science
b
: a military enemy
… a decision that owes more to parochial conflicts within the Armed Forces than to doing the best job of surveilling bad guys.—Stuart F. Brown
Stuart F. Brown
c
: someone who deserves to be blamed or criticized for causing a bad situation
Meanwhile, it's the environmentalists who are now portrayed as the bad guys, hiring lots of lawyers, consorting with congressmen …—Eric Alterman
Eric Alterman
d
: a person who treats other people harshly or strictly : a person who says or does unpopular things
As a coach sometimes you have to be the bad guy.—Ed Jovanovski, quoted in Sports Illustrated
Ed Jovanovski, quoted in Sports IllustratedParenting isn't just about having beautiful kids and being busy. It's about dealing with problems, and your success as a parent depends on your willingness to be the bad guy. If you aren't willing to be the bad guy, you shouldn't be a parent.—Roy Bragg
Roy BraggExamples of bad guy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Anna Camp is the bride-to-be surprised by her old pal's skills, and the women team up for heroic shenanigans when the big event is crashed by a bunch of bad guys.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
When the assassin first meets with Weaver’s character at a restaurant, the circular lighting fixtures, in conjunction with how Hirsch Whitaker frames them, suggests angelic halos floating above the criminals’ heads — fitting (if a bit obvious) in the story of a bad guy trying to do the right thing.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 11 Dec. 2025
Jonathan Banks has been bringing his gruff, no-nonsense vibe to the big and small screen for decades, appearing in a small role as a local cop in Gremlins and as bad guy Zack in Beverly Hills Cop that same year.
—John Russell, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
The evil-doing in question is simple enough, at least for a franchise that has always been built around the existence of a clandestine organization of magicians (The Eye) who love using their skills to take down bad guys and quite literally share the wealth with their eager audiences.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bad guy
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Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
When the assassin first meets with Weaver’s character at a restaurant, the circular lighting fixtures, in conjunction with how Hirsch Whitaker frames them, suggests angelic halos floating above the criminals’ heads — fitting (if a bit obvious) in the story of a bad guy trying to do the right thing.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 11 Dec. 2025
Jonathan Banks has been bringing his gruff, no-nonsense vibe to the big and small screen for decades, appearing in a small role as a local cop in Gremlins and as bad guy Zack in Beverly Hills Cop that same year.
—John Russell, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
The evil-doing in question is simple enough, at least for a franchise that has always been built around the existence of a clandestine organization of magicians (The Eye) who love using their skills to take down bad guys and quite literally share the wealth with their eager audiences.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bad guy
Cite this Entry
“Bad guy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bad%20guy. Accessed 22 Dec. 2025.
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