as in brute
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
only a heartless villain would kidnap a baby for ransom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of villain
The villain himself is pretty cool with a slate of terrifying weapons.
—
Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
The villains, romances and surprises will keep you enthralled and the relationship between Jane and her two maternal figures will fill your heart.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 10 May 2025
The true villains sit far away in the Delta boardroom.
—John Roy, Vulture, 8 May 2025
The Grizzlies were a gritty team by nature, and Brooks was indeed a villain.
—Kelly Iko, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for villain
Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
The villains, romances and surprises will keep you enthralled and the relationship between Jane and her two maternal figures will fill your heart.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 10 May 2025
The true villains sit far away in the Delta boardroom.
—John Roy, Vulture, 8 May 2025
The Grizzlies were a gritty team by nature, and Brooks was indeed a villain.
—Kelly Iko, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for villain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villain
Noun
-
Then comes the arrival of General Zod and his two primary compatriots – a warrior woman and a silent hulking brute – who do battle with Superman around the city, causing much destruction and threatening the life of Lois Lane and her Daily Planet coworkers.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
-
By the end of the episode, the audience is eager to meet the antihero, the brute, that everyone is talking about.—
Maelle Beauget-Uhl,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Another one of Universal’s monsters features prominently in the Curse of the Werewolf spinning coaster.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2025
-
Dark Universe is where monsters from Universal’s classic horror films – like Frankenstein, Dracula and the Invisible Man – live on in the village of Darkmoor.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
Local truffles are also on sale, not pungent but neither pricey and historically called devil’s mushroom by those who considered them as food for witches.—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
-
On her journey, Gerda makes friends with people, birds, beasts, and a kind witch, unaware that a hostile, unseen enemy – the Snow Queen and her devil apprentice, Louie – is watching her.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
7 May 2025
Noun
-
As the Trump administration continues deporting alleged criminals without due process, John Oliver can’t help but worry for who’s next.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
4 May 2025
-
She's seen meeting with fellow criminals and loading a gun in the teaser.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
2 May 2025
Noun
-
Often regarded by historians as a collection of savage tribes, the Scythians emerge as a pivotal force of the ancient world in this monumental history.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2023
-
Nearly 32 years ago, Rodney King’s savage beating by police in Los Angeles prompted heartfelt calls for change.—
Aaron Morrison, Claudia Lauer and Adrian Sainz,
Anchorage Daily News,
29 Jan. 2023
Noun
-
The beast was also equipped with flaps on both sides of its body for swimming, and had intimidating claws extending from its head.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
17 May 2025
-
Hopefully, the new ensembles will unleash the beast inside these Red Sox… 2.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
Like a Dickensian Andy Capp, Johnson is an uber-charming rogue, an everyman bluesy belter whose winking humor with a hint of the scoundrel are not entirely unlike Scott’s demeanor, though each man’s vocals, inflection and stage presence are/were clearly their own.—
Katherine Turman,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
-
In the first, Trump treated a moral hero as an ungrateful scoundrel.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Corridos have long been used to tell stories in Mexico, sometimes recounting the exploits of bandits and outlaws.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2025
-
After listening in on the meeting, Nanette offers to help identify the bandits using Kabir’s complaint log.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Villain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villain. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share