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

Sorkin finds no heroes but also no villains. —The Know, Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2026

But what Ole Miss has had to deal with is beyond the norm, with Kiffin in the villain’s role. —Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026

Newsom, who has served as a perennial villain for national conservative pundits and Republican politicians, is widely considered a likely presidential contender in 2028. —Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026

This could mean Putin is no more the villain of war in Ukraine and is now free to remove Zelenskyy and then to move on to the Baltics or Poland. —Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 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