supervillain

noun

su·​per·​vil·​lain ˈsü-pər-ˌvi-lən 

plural supervillains

: a fictional villain having extraordinary or superhuman powers

In more recent years, [Jon] Cryer appeared as legendary supervillain Lex Luthor in the CW drama Supergirl.

—Martin Holmens

… the issue will feature Spider-Man facing off against the Sinister Six, which includes supervillains Doctor Octopus, Vulture, Mysterio, Sandman, Electro and Kraven the Hunter …

—Jeremy Childs

also : a person or entity likened to a supervillain

On the show, [Elon] Musk suggests there is a "fast way and a slow way" to raise the temperatures of Mars before sharing the fast way is to "drop thermonuclear weapons over the poles." The idea is greeted by [Stephen] Colbert calling Musk a supervillain, to which Musk just casually responds, "Yeah."

—AJ Dellinger

compare superhero, superheroine

Examples of supervillain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These grandstanding lone wolves often have a penchant for supervillain-style monologues, and are more traditionally associated with the Trek movies than the TV shows. —Richard Edwards, Space.com, 13 Feb. 2026

Credit is due to the series' expressive, ever-adaptable Minions and their adorably garbled language, as well as Steve Carell's voice work as Gru, the supervillain at the heart of the story. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Feb. 2026

In a graphic, ICE agents were depicted as adorable cats and Pretti was shown armed as Spider-Man supervillain Doc Ock. —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026

The plot thickened when said bidder turned out to be hedge fund founder Martin Shkreli, who turned himself into one of America’s supervillains soon after buying the right to become the album’s sole owner and possibly sole listener. —Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for supervillain

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