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

German actor Lars Eidinger is playing the latter, one of Superman’s classic villains. —Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026

Nick Lachey goes head-to-head with villain Connor. —Sarah Hearon, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026

The villains of Enola Holmes, Old Queen Bess in The Golden Age, and Queen Anne’s leg in The Favourite all fester within its walls. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026

With ‘live’ scenes from the ship’s top deck, Marvel villains had invaded the cruise and the screens showed our heroes in action, saving the day. —Helen Wright, TheWeek, 11 Mar. 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