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
But new life and civilizations await, including a villain that will test our characters' grit and resolve.
—
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 26 June 2025
Kove's character John Kreese has long been a villain in the Karate Kid cineverse, appearing in three films, as well as more recently on the Netflix reboot series Cobra Kai.
—Lauren Huff Published, EW.com, 25 June 2025
Nautilus is bold in its changes to Captain Nemo’s story — new monsters, new villains — but imitative to other genre series in execution, and the vibe is a little didactic.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 June 2025
Clayface is shape-shifting villain in the Batman comics and got his introduction as part of Detective Comics #40 in June 1940.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for villain
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 26 June 2025
Kove's character John Kreese has long been a villain in the Karate Kid cineverse, appearing in three films, as well as more recently on the Netflix reboot series Cobra Kai.
—Lauren Huff Published, EW.com, 25 June 2025
Nautilus is bold in its changes to Captain Nemo’s story — new monsters, new villains — but imitative to other genre series in execution, and the vibe is a little didactic.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 June 2025
Clayface is shape-shifting villain in the Batman comics and got his introduction as part of Detective Comics #40 in June 1940.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for villain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villain
Noun
-
This freshly re-imagined Jag is worlds apart from that old German brute, but was similar in the sense of feeling wonderfully light and responsive, and utilizing hydraulic fluid to power its steering.—
Peter Nelson,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
-
Cops released surveillance photos of a trio of brutes wanted for punching, repeatedly stabbing and robbing a man on a Bronx train last month.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
Today, that monster lives on, not in steel and speakers, but in light.—
Noah Eckstein,
HollywoodReporter,
23 June 2025
-
The monster season Soto gave the Yankees last year, leading them to the World Series, is what the Padres expected from him.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
Assign someone to challenge ideas or play devil’s advocate.—
Elizabeth Freedman,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
-
Like, Mars is a character, kind of like a devil on my shoulder.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
According to his campaign website, some of his goals include increasing police presence, protecting undocumented immigrants but deporting violent criminals, taxing the rich, and eliminating waste.—
Emily Chang,
ABC News,
24 June 2025
-
With the help of a charming and ethnically diverse array of loveable colleagues, Peralta brings down criminals in entirely bingeable 22-minute chunks.—
Maris Kreizman,
Rolling Stone,
24 June 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
-
Mr Leopold Bloom ate with relish the inner organs of beasts and fowls.—
Benjamin Hale
June 23,
Literary Hub,
23 June 2025
-
After a late-season implosion in 2011, Epstein moved on to Chicago to slay a beast even more ferocious than the Bambino — the Billy Goat.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
Yet each performance feels angled at a slightly different degree, one distinct acting turn making all the difference between a charming scoundrel, a depressed artist, a loyal sidekick, an aloof intellectual, or a precocious kid.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
12 June 2025
-
Is Jim Ellis a live-fast, die-young scoundrel or just a mostly pretty nice guy with a heart of gold who just happens to be working for the mob?—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Noun
-
To make matters even worse, snow pirates, survivalists, bandits, the colonial military force NEVEC, and other factions are fighting over land and resources.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
27 June 2025
-
But the project is also right at home for Laika, as it’s set in a secret forest just outside of Laika’s home in Portland and follows a girl whose baby brother is taken into the forest, only to discover an exotic world of talking animals and bandits.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Villain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villain. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share