as in brutes
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
only a heartless villain would kidnap a baby for ransom
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Recent Examples of villains
Picking winners and losers, heroes and villains, pathways to success and failure, generates excitement for an event and manufactures a sense of urgency for maximal viewing pleasure.
—
Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2026
As the country moves toward the 2026 midterms, the temptation will be to treat our current racial, political, and economic crisis as a sharp break from the past; to search for singular villains; and to imagine that a return to normalcy is just one election away.
—Heather Ann Thompson, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
Considered to be one of the earliest TV villains, the reality television alum was known for his lack of personal hygiene, as well as his frequent clashes with fellow housemates.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 26 Jan. 2026
Even when Disney brought back Ortega for their Descendants franchise in 2015 — a film about the children of Disney villains — IP took precedent time and time again above the story.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 24 Jan. 2026
Even villains Doc Ock and Green Goblin will make their cookies-and-cream debut.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 22 Jan. 2026
Normally, a shrewd viewer can look at such a lineup and guess who the villains are going to be, since such roles typically attract strong actors.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
One of my favorite things about Invincible is its colorful cadre of villains and anti-heroes, from Omni-Man to Angstrom Levy to Machine Head (Jeffrey Donovan) and the Mauler Twins (Kevin Michael Richardson).
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
No other accessories or villains are included.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2026
As the country moves toward the 2026 midterms, the temptation will be to treat our current racial, political, and economic crisis as a sharp break from the past; to search for singular villains; and to imagine that a return to normalcy is just one election away.
—Heather Ann Thompson, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
Considered to be one of the earliest TV villains, the reality television alum was known for his lack of personal hygiene, as well as his frequent clashes with fellow housemates.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 26 Jan. 2026
Even when Disney brought back Ortega for their Descendants franchise in 2015 — a film about the children of Disney villains — IP took precedent time and time again above the story.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 24 Jan. 2026
Even villains Doc Ock and Green Goblin will make their cookies-and-cream debut.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 22 Jan. 2026
Normally, a shrewd viewer can look at such a lineup and guess who the villains are going to be, since such roles typically attract strong actors.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
One of my favorite things about Invincible is its colorful cadre of villains and anti-heroes, from Omni-Man to Angstrom Levy to Machine Head (Jeffrey Donovan) and the Mauler Twins (Kevin Michael Richardson).
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
No other accessories or villains are included.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villains
Noun
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For much of his career, Skarsgård has gravitated toward characters who weaponize physical presence — Vikings, tech titans and mythic brutes whose power is immediately legible.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
9 Jan. 2026
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Credit to producers Tim Zinnemann and George Linder for selecting a veritable array of brutes to wage battle with Arnold.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Nov. 2025
Noun
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But beneath his plush exterior and upbeat messaging, Buddy is an insatiably needy, controlling narcissist requiring constant affirmations of the children’s love and filling their heads with terror of the monsters lurking in the outside world beyond the park in which the show takes place.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
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And the monsters are truly terrifying.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Immigration and Integration Minister Rasmus Stoklund said 315 foreign criminals from countries outside the European Union had received sentences of more than a year over the last five years but were not expelled.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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Top police brass nationwide rarely criticize their federal partners, relying on collaboration to investigate gangs, extremist groups and other major criminals — while also counting on millions in funding from Washington each year.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Castillo said the solution requires leadership, coordination and a return to focused enforcement that prioritizes violent criminal offenders over broad street operations that escalate confrontation.—
Stepheny Price , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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In fact, reconciliation was often ill-advised, especially if offenders had not expressed remorse or commitment to any type of meaningful change.—
Richard Balkin,
The Conversation,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There are sounds and shadows in the forest; the Devil, or devils, may be walking the earth.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2026
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And then there are the infernal workers who make sure that Lucifer’s realm runs smoothly, among them farting devils, giants in chains, and a flying monster with the body of a serpent and the face of an honest man.—
Eric Bulson,
The Atlantic,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The authentic Denver and Rio Grande train that has operated at Knott’s since 1952 boasts the highest crime rate in all of Orange County with the notorious Ghost Town bandits robbing every departure from the Calico Square depot.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
21 Jan. 2026
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Whiskey Row celebrates Prescott's Old West history, with saloons once occupied by outlaws and bandits.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Giannis, a gentleman even in this era of scoundrels, likely wants to do right by the Bucks, too.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
3 Dec. 2025
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These twin influences, religious fervor and a preoccupation with dangerous men, would go on to define the next six decades of the director’s working life, finding expression as a conviction that even scoundrels are in possession of a soul.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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While Bond is able to subdue the baddies, the briefcase containing the money is lost and Vesper is trapped in an elevator cage.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Jan. 2026
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Chris Pratt is known for having action-forward roles in movies – wrestling supervillains, fighting video-game baddies, befriending dinosaurs, occasionally playing baseball, that sort of thing.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Villains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villains. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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