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

With the power of Barstool behind Cooper, the public largely believed her side of the story and painted Franklyn as a villain. — Anna Tingley, Variety, 10 Nov. 2026

Gunn and Safran released David Corenswet’s Superman movie, Milly Alcock’s Supergirl and the villain origin story Clayface as part of their fledgling cinematic universe based on DC Comics during their four-year tenure as DC Studios chiefs. — Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2026

Horowitz then brought up Skarsgard’s longtime interest in playing a villain in the James Bond franchise. — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2026

Much psychological research has focussed on the degradation of villains, but a symmetrical force works to elevate victims. — Paul Bloom, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 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