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
Every sports league is better with a bad guy, and Reese subtly demeaning Clark is a brilliant marketing ploy.
—Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 May 2025
The media always tried to portray you as a bad guy but we the people has and will always the love you!!
—Ilana Kaplan, People.com, 27 May 2025
This time, as covert agent Ethan Hunt of the Impossible Missions Force, Cruise endeavors to wrest control of the Entity, an artificial intelligence system sought by bad guy Gabriel (Esai Morales), then retrieve its source code from ex-CIA agent William Donloe (Rolf Saxon).
—Armond White, National Review, 23 May 2025
There are ultimately no real good or bad guys in their deadpan genre flicks — just people going about their lives while so many keep dying.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bad guy
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Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 May 2025
The media always tried to portray you as a bad guy but we the people has and will always the love you!!
—Ilana Kaplan, People.com, 27 May 2025
This time, as covert agent Ethan Hunt of the Impossible Missions Force, Cruise endeavors to wrest control of the Entity, an artificial intelligence system sought by bad guy Gabriel (Esai Morales), then retrieve its source code from ex-CIA agent William Donloe (Rolf Saxon).
—Armond White, National Review, 23 May 2025
There are ultimately no real good or bad guys in their deadpan genre flicks — just people going about their lives while so many keep dying.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 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 8 Jun. 2025.
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