villain

noun

ˈvi-lən How to pronounce villain (audio)
Definition of villainnext
as in brute
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person only a heartless villain would kidnap a baby for ransom

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 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 See All Example Sentences for villain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villain
  1. brute
  2. monster
  3. criminal
  4. devil
  5. savage
  6. offender
  7. scoundrel
  8. beast
Noun
  • Most sportsmen wonder how any whitetail bucks, let alone a brute such as Kontras’, could have been so easily patterned.
    — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The show’s depiction of Hugh as a family man has been much more sympathetic than the book’s description of him as a power-hungry brute.
    — James Grebey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of brute
Noun
  • Solange Azagury-Partridge’s latest jewelry collection is a monster mash-up — high-end, hybrid creations that are sharp-edged, sculptural and ravishing from every one of their weird angles.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 13 Nov. 2026
  • This drama follows the police detective trying to put the pieces together and get the monster who killed Fuentes off the streets.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 13 Nov. 2026
Definition of monster
Noun
  • The trailers were recovered by police nearby, presumably after the criminals cut the locks to reveal they were each loaded with 20,000 pounds of sand.
    — Nick Indge, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Without changing state law, criminals can continue to be sentenced to death in California.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • Dion shared a few photos of her own from the show on social media, including Instagram Stories post featuring herself, her two sons, Eddy and Nelson Angélil, and Black, all throwing up devil horns.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2026
  • The guitars shred our ears, the wall opens up, and a pair of monsters slinks into the room — a red devil, a hunchbacked demon with a black snout.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of devil
Noun
  • Periods of paralyzing coldness are punctured by moments of passionate intensity; abject declarations of love and remorse follow savage explosions; then come the coercion, denials, gaslighting, and escalations.
    — Jamie Hood, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2026
  • And mostly, the comedian known for his savage takedowns and viral beefs is keeping his cool.
    — Timothy Bella, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of savage
Noun
  • Across Arkansas, our task forces bring together the resources, expertise, and determination needed to confront violent offenders.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Nov. 2026
  • These could be past offenders or people whose behavior raises suspicion, such as someone lingering near a bank late at night.
    — TK Vinod Kumar, The Conversation, 13 Nov. 2026
Definition of offender
Noun
  • There’s been bestselling books, podcasts, an Alex Gibney documentary, and an Emmy-winning series featuring Amanda Seyfried as the Silicon Valley scoundrel.
    — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Frank Dillane plays Willoughby, Marianne’s love interest, with such commitment that the actor was surprised to learn his character is universally acknowledged to be a scoundrel.
    — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of scoundrel
Noun
  • Managing such a beast is costly, which helps to explain why smaller operations have increasingly given way to corporations like Republic, which can turn a profit through economies of scale.
    — Alex Cuadros, ProPublica, 10 Nov. 2026
  • But being the beast of a weak east won’t help in January when the Giants would likely have to face a better team from the loaded NFC North or NFC West in the playoffs.
    — Rob Maaddi, Chicago Tribune, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of beast

Browse Nearby Words

villages
villain
villainess
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Cite this Entry

“Villain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villain. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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