as in evil
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable
villainous behavior that made him one of the most notorious figures in history and gave rise to the legend of Dracula
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Recent Examples of villainous
That’s what made his villainous turn in the mid-1990s so effective.
—
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 25 July 2025
The trailer also includes shots of Maximus (Moten), Lucy’s villainous father, Hank (Kyle McLachlan) as well as the menacing predator the Deathclaw.
See the full trailer below.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
O’Connell has had a big year that started with his scene-stealing role as villainous vampire Remy in the box office smash Sinners, followed by the Sony horror hit 28 Years Later.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2025
In addition to the villainous Milo, two longtime characters also met their end: Iris (Emma Laird) and Capt. Kareem Moore (Michael Beach), both of whom had been with the series since the first season.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for villainous
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 25 July 2025
The trailer also includes shots of Maximus (Moten), Lucy’s villainous father, Hank (Kyle McLachlan) as well as the menacing predator the Deathclaw.
See the full trailer below.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
O’Connell has had a big year that started with his scene-stealing role as villainous vampire Remy in the box office smash Sinners, followed by the Sony horror hit 28 Years Later.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2025
In addition to the villainous Milo, two longtime characters also met their end: Iris (Emma Laird) and Capt. Kareem Moore (Michael Beach), both of whom had been with the series since the first season.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for villainous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villainous
Adjective
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As these evil forces encroach, the pup finds the courage to protect his owner and territory.—
Connor Merrihew,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Aug. 2025
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Somehow the lucky, evil, nefarious Wordle Bot guessed in just two today!—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This country already has very limited ability to stop the Republicans’ attempt to end democracy in the United States mostly due to their immoral actions on the Supreme Court nominations of Obama and Biden.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Aug. 2025
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Rudy flames out on his first day, though, and ends up working for a shady lawyer named Bruiser (Lana Parrilla) and her gleefully immoral paralegal Deck (P.J. Byrne).—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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He was indicted on two charges, including conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants and unlawful transportation of migrants without legal status.—
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán,
NPR,
25 Aug. 2025
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There are widespread reports of extrajudicial killings, psychological intimidation, unlawful detentions, torture, child kidnappings and disappearances.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Don’t dream of leaving without ordering a gigantic slice of the coconut cake with cream cheese frosting—sinful and certainly comforting.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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Growing up in rural Tennessee, my grandfather learned that certain activities — card playing, smoking, imbibing — were sinful.—
Peter Rowe,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 July 2025
Adjective
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If Hill is still an elite player, and tight end Darren Waller can produce half the production Jonnu Smith gave the Dolphins last year, the passing game will have a vicious bite.—
Omar Kelly
August 25,
Miami Herald,
25 Aug. 2025
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The unique stipulation is the direct result of King's recent, vicious actions against his rival, Myles Borne.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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What's more, monsters like Alex Jones, the vile conspiracy theorist, claimed the shooting never happened and that the families of the victims were actors.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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This treatment is vile and an affront to our Constitution and our principles of equal protection under the law.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
17 July 2025
Adjective
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Sherlock fanatics may recall that Cumberbatch’s interpretation of Baker Street’s greatest sleuth was blessed with hints of wicked humor sublimated under those manic, elementary deductions.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
27 Aug. 2025
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The therapist reacts in horror, but judging by the wicked smiles on their faces, this kind of dry, mutually deprecating humor still turns them on.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Sydney Sweeney’s new dark crime comedy Americana is new in theaters this weekend.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Flames and dark smoke billowed over a cement factory that was set alight by a wildfire that swept through olive groves and forests and disrupted rail traffic on the outskirts of the Greek city of Patras, west of Athens.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Villainous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villainous. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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