villain

noun

vil·​lain ˈvi-lən How to pronounce villain (audio)
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
automation as the villain in job … displacementM. H. Goldberg
4
5
: an uncouth person : boor

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
She's gone toe to toe with Marvel villains, T-rexes and Bill Murray. Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025 Race is one of many concerns in Vineland, but One Battle After Another sets itself apart as a studio film with vividly, absurdly ugly racist villains, arguing satirically but unflinchingly that white supremacy continues to be the guiding principle for American power. Rory Doherty, Time, 26 Sep. 2025 Bio-tar, long a bioenergy villain, could turn into a goldmine! Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025 On Monday, the Superman director and DC Studios co-head seemingly revealed the villain in his follow-up movie with a photo of an X-ray vision of a person's brain. Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for villain

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of villain was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Villain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/villain. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

villain

noun
vil·​lain ˈvil-ən How to pronounce villain (audio)
1
2
: an evil person : scoundrel
3
: a character in a story or play who opposes the hero

More from Merriam-Webster on villain

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