as in brute
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
only a heartless villain would kidnap a baby for ransom
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of villain
Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation Rogue Nation set up what these films sorely lacked up until this point: a recurring villain in the shadowy Syndicate that could serve as a viable foil to Ethan Hunt’s IMF, the SPECTRE to his MI6.
—
Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 23 May 2025
Flashbacks to the first film, from 1996, introduce revelations that newer characters are related to those who died off in the original installment; monologue after monologue from heroes and villains alike details just how uniquely special a figure Hunt has become.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 23 May 2025
Haliburton, the natural heel as a Pacer in New York, assisted all-world villain Logan Paul in a Triple Threat Match against LA Knight and Santos Escobar.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Frey was the Game of Thrones villain who orchestrated that show’s infamous Red Wedding, a premeditated and highly violent attack on a large group of people that took place during a wedding reception.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for villain
Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 23 May 2025
Flashbacks to the first film, from 1996, introduce revelations that newer characters are related to those who died off in the original installment; monologue after monologue from heroes and villains alike details just how uniquely special a figure Hunt has become.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 23 May 2025
Haliburton, the natural heel as a Pacer in New York, assisted all-world villain Logan Paul in a Triple Threat Match against LA Knight and Santos Escobar.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Frey was the Game of Thrones villain who orchestrated that show’s infamous Red Wedding, a premeditated and highly violent attack on a large group of people that took place during a wedding reception.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for villain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villain
Noun
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Then comes the arrival of General Zod and his two primary compatriots – a warrior woman and a silent hulking brute – who do battle with Superman around the city, causing much destruction and threatening the life of Lois Lane and her Daily Planet coworkers.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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By the end of the episode, the audience is eager to meet the antihero, the brute, that everyone is talking about.—
Maelle Beauget-Uhl,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Dark Universe is where monsters from Universal’s classic horror films – like Frankenstein, Dracula and the Invisible Man – live on in the village of Darkmoor.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
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Another one of Universal’s monsters features prominently in the Curse of the Werewolf spinning coaster.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2025
Noun
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Local truffles are also on sale, not pungent but neither pricey and historically called devil’s mushroom by those who considered them as food for witches.—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
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On her journey, Gerda makes friends with people, birds, beasts, and a kind witch, unaware that a hostile, unseen enemy – the Snow Queen and her devil apprentice, Louie – is watching her.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
7 May 2025
Noun
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By the way, none of us is a criminal, as hacking is not a crime.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
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Manson was a petty criminal who had been in and out of jail since childhood.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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The beast was also equipped with flaps on both sides of its body for swimming, and had intimidating claws extending from its head.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
17 May 2025
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Hopefully, the new ensembles will unleash the beast inside these Red Sox… 2.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
16 May 2025
Noun
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Like a Dickensian Andy Capp, Johnson is an uber-charming rogue, an everyman bluesy belter whose winking humor with a hint of the scoundrel are not entirely unlike Scott’s demeanor, though each man’s vocals, inflection and stage presence are/were clearly their own.—
Katherine Turman,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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In the first, Trump treated a moral hero as an ungrateful scoundrel.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Corridos have long been used to tell stories in Mexico, sometimes recounting the exploits of bandits and outlaws.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2025
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After listening in on the meeting, Nanette offers to help identify the bandits using Kabir’s complaint log.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Villain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villain. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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