villain

noun

vil·​lain ˈvi-lən 

1

: a character in a story or play who opposes the hero

2

: a deliberate scoundrel or criminal

3

: one blamed for a particular evil or difficulty

… witness the wolf, at once ecological hero and agricultural villain.

—Ben Goldfarb

4

: villein

5

: an uncouth person : boor

Synonyms of villain

• brute
• monster
• criminal
• devil
• savage
• offender
• scoundrel
• beast
• bandit
• assassin

Examples of villain in a Sentence

He plays the villain in most of his movies.

She describes her first husband as a villain who treated her terribly.

Don't try to make me the villain. It's your own fault that you're having these problems.

Recent Examples on the Web

One of the most interesting choices from Flanagan is that in the later timeline with the interviews, Carrie isn't painted as a villain by anyone. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

And even within a game, there are heroes and there are villains, and there’s conflict. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

The company’s business practices and hands-off approach to political content have made audiences more skeptical of it, and less shocked when Zuckerberg comes off as a villain. — Andrew McGowan, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026

Audiences chose fictional villains over irl ones this weekend. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vilain, vilein, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin villanus, from Latin villa

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Rhymes for villain

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

Kids Definition

villain

noun

vil·​lain ˈvil-ən 

1

: villein

2

: an evil person : scoundrel

3

: a character in a story or play who opposes the hero