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 Andreas Katsulas played G’Kar for all five seasons, taking the Narn ambassador from cartoonish villain to one of the show’s most surprising heroes. — Jp Mangalindan, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Aug. 2026 General Nawaam — the main villain — also makes for a memorable character that has more Kylo Ren (or The Stranger) than Darth Vader in them. — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 5 Aug. 2026 Spaceballs saw Moranis as Lord Dark Helmet, the villainous spoof of Star Wars’ iconic villain Darth Vader. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026 All three of the aforementioned actors showed up to battle a rogues’ gallery of series villains. — Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 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
  • Shinnecock was still a brute of a test, but the red numbers on the white scoreboard were an unfamiliar site for this course.
    — Doug Ferguson, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
  • These brutes commonly exceed 50 pounds.
    — Keith Sutton, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026
Definition of brute
Noun
  • At the same time, Bernadette makes her potion and turns into a 60-foot monster, destroying Pasadena.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Major oil and gas companies around the world posted monster second-quarter profits last week amid the Iran conflict's surge in crude prices.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of monster
Noun
  • North Carolina politician says Democrats are coddling criminals Records also list a September 2025 simple-assault charge and a March 2025 charge of assault on a female.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Even if Anna Pigeon carries a gun with cuffs, as real-life law enforcement rangers do, there's much more to the job and character than chasing down criminals.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • Throughout the movie, two mentors stand over each of his shoulders like an aproned angel and devil.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
  • There’s also a devil, all too ready to perch on his other shoulder, too.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of devil
Noun
  • For all its characteristic restraint and formal diligence, Killing Spree is a book that wants to make noise, to cut through the dead air with cries of grief and rage, undoing our own savage torpor.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
  • And potentially discover treasure that will keep the savages at home from tearing the place down.
    — Barry Collins, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of savage
Noun
  • This high-security prison is a sprawling complex that houses thousands of detainees, including notorious gangsters, terrorists and prominent white-collar offenders.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • But court documents filed by Bussett in December allege that both victims and their families were told by the district attorney’s office that Butler would plead guilty and serve time at a juvenile facility in exchange for a youthful offender status.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of offender
Noun
  • But Roy Cohn—an American scoundrel and the lawyer who helped send Julius and Ethel Rosenberg to the electric chair, aided Senator Joseph McCarthy in implementing the Red Scare, and showed Trump the ropes in the real-estate business—was long gone.
    — Kai Bird, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • And the surviving cartel scoundrels take the parting shot by kidnapping beloved Carter, putting a hood on him and taking the boy off.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Definition of scoundrel
Noun
  • Martinelli’s case, similar to the whispers that have emerged this week around Lewis-Skelly, is an example of moving parts within a labyrinthine beast of a transfer system.
    — Kaya Kaynak, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • But over the course of numerous sequels and reboots, the franchise largely shifted away from resonant character drama in favor of high-octane action sequences and increasingly monstrous beasts.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 14 Aug. 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 Aug. 2026.

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