big bad

noun

variants or Big Bad

plural big bads or Big Bads

: a major villain or antagonist (as in a movie, show, or game)

When Ursula, the story's big bad, took to the screen, I would run behind the entertainment center and cover my eyes, a fact my mom loves to remind me about whenever she gets the chance.

—KT Hawbaker

As the show [Buffy the Vampire Slayer] aged, the Big Bads became more dangerous and the lessons more adult, but Buffy never gave up …

—Kaitlin Thomas

The Big Bad this time around is the wind mage Vaati, who has captured Zelda, and it's your quest to defeat him and prevent the unholy union of princess and evil eyeball-blob-thing.

—Tony Ponce

Examples of big bad in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Reid, for all intents and purposes, casts the fictional league’s commissioner as the rightful big bad villain of Shane and Ilya’s story. —Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026

The trailer also gives fans a look at Brand New Day’s big bad, a mysterious figure who has the ability to take over other people’s bodies. —Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 17 June 2026

And on the show, the big bad is really on the inside of all of us. —Carita Rizzo, Deadline, 15 June 2026

Even fans of rival programs in the state and conference were giving TCU their props for their dig at the big bad bullies of the Big 12. —Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

2001, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for big bad

• comrade
• dryad
• dyad
• forbad
• grandad
• granddad
• keypad
• nomad
• notepad
• postgrad
• sinbad
• tetrad