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

There’s no cliffhanger storyline leading into this film, no splashy new villain in the trailers, no end-of-the-world stakes, or parade of returning legacy stars. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026

The villains in his stories are motivated by pure greed, and trade-offs do not exist. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Trump literally sounds like an unhinged super villain from a Marvel comic movie. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 30 July 2026

There are no villains here, just a group of super-fit college grads. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 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