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
Instead, the project focused on Tom Blyth as a young Coriolanus Snow, who later becomes the villainous President Snow, and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute from District 12.
—
Michael Nied, People.com, 21 May 2025
After landing his third Oscar nomination for Conclave, Ralph Fiennes has come aboard for the role of the villainous President Snow, ruthless dictator of Panem, in Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, based on the bestselling novel by Suzanne Collins.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 May 2025
Paul and Cena made for quite the villainous duo, giving fans a fantastic performance against Uso and Rhodes that started off slow but got red hot by the conclusion of Money in the Bank.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Penelope’s flaws are humanizing, never outright villainous, and neither are they completely ignored.
—Abigail Lee, Variety, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for villainous
Michael Nied, People.com, 21 May 2025
After landing his third Oscar nomination for Conclave, Ralph Fiennes has come aboard for the role of the villainous President Snow, ruthless dictator of Panem, in Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, based on the bestselling novel by Suzanne Collins.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 May 2025
Paul and Cena made for quite the villainous duo, giving fans a fantastic performance against Uso and Rhodes that started off slow but got red hot by the conclusion of Money in the Bank.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Penelope’s flaws are humanizing, never outright villainous, and neither are they completely ignored.
—Abigail Lee, Variety, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for villainous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villainous
Adjective
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Unfortunately, those lofty first-act ambitions give way to something much more formulaic, as Buzz joins forces with the usual ragtag bunch of misfits to battle the evil Emperor Zurg.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
20 June 2025
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In Twin Peaks, Deputy Chief Hawk and Sheriff Frank Truman—filling in for ailing brother Frank—work on following a lead phoned in by an ailing Log Lady, while Richard Horne, son of Audrey Horne and Cooper’s evil double, spiraling into depravity and addiction, kills a child in a hit-and-run.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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Though the organization had a history of taking action against (supposedly) immoral ministers, Kunstler had no direct evidence to prove this was the case with Rev. Hall.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
27 June 2025
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His plan calls for demanding that messages not change more frequently than every four seconds, not include flashing lights and not include obscene, indecent or immoral content.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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Jorge Garibay said in a statement Friday, adding that the efforts were aimed at reducing fire risk and unlawful activity throughout the city.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
28 June 2025
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The court cited the First Amendment (freedom of speech), the Fourth Amendment (protection against unlawful search and seizure), and the Fourteenth Amendment (due process and equal protection).—
Ashley Fredde,
Idaho Statesman,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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There’s a sinful sort of glee in watching all of this unfold, knowing that the same mournful character might be the next one to die.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2025
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The sinful acts on display here are a direct result of that disenfranchisement, an effort to reclaim what is still owed, forty acres and a mule, with interest.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This approach costs three times more than housing people and creates a vicious cycle — incarceration increases homelessness risk by destroying community connections and employment prospects.—
Mahdi E Diab,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 June 2025
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Of course, no conversation about Yellowjackets season 3 would be complete without a deep dive into Shauna's vicious throw down with Swank's Melissa — during which Shauna rips a chunk of flesh off Melissa's arm with her teeth and forces her to eat it.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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The Baloncesto Superior Nacional league announced Tuesday that Cousins was kicked off the Mets de Guaynabo after a vile gesture toward a fan, grabbing his genitals to mock the fan as the fan flipped both his middle fingers.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2025
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Today's extradition is a giant step forward in holding the defendant accountable for his unspeakably reprehensible and vile efforts to spread fear, chaos, and hate.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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People used to hang iron on their doors to keep fae and other wicked spirits out at night.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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What makes the series so delightful is Osman’s wicked sense of humor, and the empathy suffused throughout.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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My challenge was to make the sequel scarier, and darker.—
Sweta Kaushal,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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Prioritize sleep quality: Creating a consistent bedtime routine and keeping your bedroom cool and dark may help improve sleep.—
Stella Bard,
Health,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Villainous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villainous. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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