as in brute
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
only a heartless villain would kidnap a baby for ransom
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of villain
Pattinson will take on the role of shape-shifting villain Scytale.
—
Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Rick and Danny come out looking like neither role models nor villains, but just two imperfect men brought together by the whims of fate and a sincere passion for their art.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
Kentucky bluegrass, a notoriously thirsty grass that has become a villain in the eyes of water experts and policy makers, will go dormant without water — but will be primed to bounce back in more auspicious conditions.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
This Dickensian narrative sprawl allows Mendonça Filho to render his villains in the same Technicolor.
—Michael Snyder, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for villain
Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Rick and Danny come out looking like neither role models nor villains, but just two imperfect men brought together by the whims of fate and a sincere passion for their art.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
Kentucky bluegrass, a notoriously thirsty grass that has become a villain in the eyes of water experts and policy makers, will go dormant without water — but will be primed to bounce back in more auspicious conditions.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
This Dickensian narrative sprawl allows Mendonça Filho to render his villains in the same Technicolor.
—Michael Snyder, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for villain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villain
Noun
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The psychology that Bryk wrote for these young men is the key as to why these brutes are more lovable than unbearable.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
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Bay Hill was a brute before the round was halted for just over an hour because of heavy rain.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Rather than lean on typical monster movies and slasher horror that can always make bank in the movie theater, the biggest horror properties on TV are all across the map.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
13 Mar. 2026
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The Knicks, shorthanded without Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart, didn’t let them — and a monster performance from Mitchell Robinson helped punch a 101-92 victory over the worst team in basketball on Friday night.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That way, even if your data circulates, criminals have a harder time breaking in.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Mar. 2026
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By demanding justice and dignity for the drug-war dead, were nuns, priests, pastors, and other sympathizers not protecting criminals?—
Sheila Coronel,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Other propaganda compared Native people to buffalo, cats, dogs, and devils.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
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Also called devil's snare, the plant's seeds, roots, stems, and leaves are all dangerous if ingested.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Just as all British became painted as corrupt as part of their national character, so too did all Native people become seen as savage by their biological nature.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
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Reaction from Illinois politicians was swift, and savage.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Last year, the county sued NaphCare for its alleged role in the death of Brandon Yates, who was murdered in the Central Jail in 2024 after being wrongly placed into a cell with a violent offender.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
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Police said an offender is in custody and a weapon was recovered.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Sure, the Oscar-winning makeup helps transform the actor into Cheney, but the voice and petulance are all Bale, whose conjuring of this scoundrel ought to trigger PTSD for anyone who survived the Dubya years.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
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Political leaders who encourage or tolerate such scoundrels should be driven from office.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Check out a trailer for Arctic Link here, which touches on the question of whether the internet will turn out to be a savior or a beast.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Mar. 2026
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All beasts are subject to sudden and violent extinction at the hands of other beasts.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Villain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villain. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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