VILLAINS Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

villains

noun

plural of villain

as in brutes

a mean, evil, or unprincipled person only a heartless villain would kidnap a baby for ransom

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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 villains At the time of the arrest, many royal observers speculated about Harry and Meghan’s reaction, especially since they had often been portrayed as the family villains. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 25 Aug. 2026 As baseball's new villains, the Dodgers' fate in October will be the most talked about storyline. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 The ’90s were an era of event villains, characters who came preinstalled with their own company-wide impact. — Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026 Anthony Hopkins has played villains and popes, presidents and dictators, titans of literature and comic book kings. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026 In a sense, there are three heroes and villains, and there was never a question that [the women] were not expendable, whereas everyone else around them was, depending on how the story worked. — Max Gao, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026 Powerless even against the most run-of-the-mill villains, the men casually harassing her at the diner. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026 With his new superpowers, Rider battles numerous villains in space, including the Skrulls, who have appeared in recent MCU titles including Secret Invasion and 2019’s Captain Marvel. — Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Aug. 2026 People who once dined together, smiled together, campaigned together and worked together to strengthen our communities are suddenly being portrayed as villains. — Beau Simon, Sun Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for villains

Noun

These brutes commonly exceed 50 pounds.

— Keith Sutton, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026
In Raspail’s tale, hordes of impoverished and dark-skinned brutes from India descend onto French shores by way of rafts, the first wave of an invasion of the civilized West by the brown-skinned developing world.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026

Definition of brutes

Noun

Hisbah members also face widespread allegations of rights abuses in their enforcement operations, including subjecting offenders to dehumanizing punishments such as public beatings or shaming.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Its recent report says organized crime groups are increasingly involved in cultural-property theft, with offenders using tools like explosives and firearms.

— George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of offenders

Noun

In 2025, two Tasmanian devils arrived at the Australian Outback exhibit.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026
Tasmanian devils suffer from Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD), a highly fatal cancer spread by biting, which has devastated their population and surprisingly arose twice.

— John Drake, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Definition of devils

Noun

Analysts warn each ransom payment fuels more crime as armed groups, from rural bandits to Islamist militants, raid schools, mosques and villages, with an average of 21 kidnappings reported daily.

— Dyepkazah Shibayan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
The Brigands of Rattlecreek follows a sheriff and a doctor who seek revenge against a group of bandits who use the cover of a torrential thunderstorm to rob and terrorize the occupants of a small town.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of bandits

Noun

Players command Hawks, a former Republic officer, leading a customizable squad of diverse archetypes, including Jedi and scoundrels.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 15 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 scoundrels

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villainousness

villains

villainy

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“Villains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villains. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of villains

noun

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