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
Parenting 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
Essentially re-creating Superman’s origin story while inserting Superman II’s bad guys, Zack Snyder’s first go-round with the Kryptonian is a typically self-serious, lumbering affair.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 July 2025
Superman 2025 is the latest in a long line of media depictions of the dashing visitor from another planet who fights bad guys (Earthlings and aliens), rescues people in distress, inspires hope and seeks justice.
—Rusty Wright, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2025
Among those in the mix has been Sinners bad guy Jack O’Connell, Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes‘ Tom Blyth, Leo Woodall (The White Lotus) and George MacKay, star of war movie 1917.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2025
Part of what startled Fitzgerald’s generation about their studio experience was how near at hand the real bad guys could be.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
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Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 July 2025
Superman 2025 is the latest in a long line of media depictions of the dashing visitor from another planet who fights bad guys (Earthlings and aliens), rescues people in distress, inspires hope and seeks justice.
—Rusty Wright, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2025
Among those in the mix has been Sinners bad guy Jack O’Connell, Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes‘ Tom Blyth, Leo Woodall (The White Lotus) and George MacKay, star of war movie 1917.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2025
Part of what startled Fitzgerald’s generation about their studio experience was how near at hand the real bad guys could be.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 9 June 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 20 Jul. 2025.
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