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
In The Three Amigos, a trio of American actors who have played heroic gunslingers in a series of popular silent films, are accidentally hired by the villagers of Santa Poco to protect them from the villainous bandit leader, El Guapo, who kidnaps a beautiful villager to be his unwilling bride.
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Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Moreover, if the campaign emphasizes Anderson’s overdue status, Penn’s villainous turn and Hall’s breakout, the film could position itself as a top-tier contender.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 11 Sep. 2025
Batman has always been skeptical of magic, but nonetheless gets drawn into an investigation that involves Constantine, Etrigan, Zatanna, Deadman, Black Orchid, and Swamp Thing, leading them all into battle with villainous sorcerer Felix Faust.
—Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
Ne Zha’s mother is transmogrified into a magical pill at the hands of the story’s villainous mastermind, the immortal Wuliang.
—Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for villainous
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Moreover, if the campaign emphasizes Anderson’s overdue status, Penn’s villainous turn and Hall’s breakout, the film could position itself as a top-tier contender.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 11 Sep. 2025
Batman has always been skeptical of magic, but nonetheless gets drawn into an investigation that involves Constantine, Etrigan, Zatanna, Deadman, Black Orchid, and Swamp Thing, leading them all into battle with villainous sorcerer Felix Faust.
—Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
Ne Zha’s mother is transmogrified into a magical pill at the hands of the story’s villainous mastermind, the immortal Wuliang.
—Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for villainous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villainous
Adjective
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If the full release can continue to generate oddly pulse-pounding moments like the near-death rooftop fight with an evil-eyed Pikachu, then Z-A might be worth an extended stay in Lumiose.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
24 Sep. 2025
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The kids discover their small town of Derry is home to an ancient, trans-dimensional evil that awakens every 27 years to prey mostly on children by taking the form of an evil clown named Pennywise.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Unlike previous seasons, Dorothy never makes immoral choices.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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This is disgraceful and immoral.—
Armando Garcia,
ABC News,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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African telecom companies are often at the mercy of government agencies that order the shutdowns, but pressure from the international community could increase accountability and compel the companies to deny unlawful or arbitrary shutdown orders, the researchers argued.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
29 Sep. 2025
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Oregon is calling for the court to declare Hegseth's order unlawful and to enjoin the federalization of troops, as well as permanently enjoin the defense secretary and the Pentagon from calling upon Oregon National Guard members for federal service.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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No one knows the cake’s origin, but people like to offer theories on its name: Some say the word devil is a nod to the sinful dark chocolate, reminiscent of devil’s food cake.—
Sheri Castle,
Southern Living,
22 Sep. 2025
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In an important variation, medieval soldiers returning from war regularly spent an extended period of penance in monasteries – a recognition of Catholicism’s teaching that any war is inherently sinful.—
Timothy Gabrielli,
The Conversation,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This pervasive fragmentation creates a vicious cycle.—
Emeka Ajene,
semafor.com,
29 Sep. 2025
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Two officers responded and learned the teen had barricaded himself inside the upper unit of the duplex with several vicious dogs, according to a search warrant.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Continue reading … VACANT SEAT – City councilmember resigns after vile comment made to Trump supporter sparks backlash.—
,
FOXNews.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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This vile attack was motivated by hatred for ICE.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Laura was also funny, so funny – and had a wicked sense of humor.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
25 Sep. 2025
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Michelle was 16, entering her junior year at Lakewood High, a fiercely competitive swimmer with a wicked sense of humor.—
Ted Katauskas,
Outside,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Attendees can also expect kid-friendly activities, including hair braiding, glow-in-the-dark face painting, accessory booths, photo booths, and giant inflatable mascots on the dance floor.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
30 Sep. 2025
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Atop her dress, Carey opted for a long-sleeve dark leather jacket with a cropped design and edgy zipper closure.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Villainous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villainous. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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