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

Even villains Doc Ock and Green Goblin will make their cookies-and-cream debut. —Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 22 Jan. 2026

Normally, a shrewd viewer can look at such a lineup and guess who the villains are going to be, since such roles typically attract strong actors. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026

Darth Maul has long been a fan-favorite villain from the Star Wars prequel movies, despite not actually showing up in much of the action before getting sliced in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi. —Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026

Maye isn’t the only Patriots player who enjoys playing the villain. —Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 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
• haematoxylin
• 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