as in brutes
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 villains
There are flying cars held at bay by the power of telekenesis and Park teleporting, as the crew clumsily accept their new ‘hero’ roles and attempt to take on the villains threatening the peace of Haeseong City.
—
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026
The playoffs have delivered their share of Knicks villains over the years, from Reggie Miller to Joel Embiid to Tyrese Haliburton.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
Unlike past budding dynasties, the Thunder haven’t established themselves as heroes or villains.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Alongside her dad, returning heroes and villains include Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Panther (Letitia Wright), Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen) and Gambit (Channing Tatum).
—Brent Lang, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
That’s because Steps centers on Cinderella’s stepsisters, Lilith and Margot, reimagining them as far more than one-dimensional villains.
—Ryan Brennan
april 9, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Design There’s a reason James Bond villains chase 007’s Aston Martin in fleets of black Defenders.
—John Scott Lewinski, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2026
However, most of these films depicted Latinos as either incompetent or villains.
—Jared Bahir Browsh, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026
This sweet, simple name is the other half of one of our absolute favorite villains.
—Holly Garcia, Parents, 6 Apr. 2026
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026
The playoffs have delivered their share of Knicks villains over the years, from Reggie Miller to Joel Embiid to Tyrese Haliburton.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
Unlike past budding dynasties, the Thunder haven’t established themselves as heroes or villains.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Alongside her dad, returning heroes and villains include Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Panther (Letitia Wright), Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen) and Gambit (Channing Tatum).
—Brent Lang, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
That’s because Steps centers on Cinderella’s stepsisters, Lilith and Margot, reimagining them as far more than one-dimensional villains.
—Ryan Brennan
april 9, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Design There’s a reason James Bond villains chase 007’s Aston Martin in fleets of black Defenders.
—John Scott Lewinski, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2026
However, most of these films depicted Latinos as either incompetent or villains.
—Jared Bahir Browsh, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026
This sweet, simple name is the other half of one of our absolute favorite villains.
—Holly Garcia, Parents, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villains
Noun
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That’s happened in several Mid Atlantic rivers, but in the absence of larger brutes like blues and flathead, channels will thrive and can break the 15-pound mark.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
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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
Noun
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So many of my favorite filmmakers over the years have been exposed as monsters.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
19 Apr. 2026
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No further films in the series are planned, though Universal did repurpose the name Dark Universe for an area of its Epic Universe theme park featuring the classic monsters.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Many of the toughest criminals taken into ICE custody were already in prison, but many others who were arrested have no criminal history.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
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In the furthest part of space lies Dante 01, a detention facility that houses criminals who have committed the most shocking crimes imaginable.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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One way to stop this proliferation of deep-fake nudity is to prosecute the offenders and make examples that such foolery has consequences.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
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He was convicted in 2019 at age 13 of assaulting another child at school with a hockey stick and placed under supervision of a local service for youth offenders.—
Brian Melley,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Other propaganda compared Native people to buffalo, cats, dogs, and devils.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
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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
Noun
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This notion was based on outdated presumptions of hillforts as being occupied by violent, prehistoric savages.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
10 Apr. 2026
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Or Irish, in a time when they were seen as savages by the Englishmen?—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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An unusual theft at a Pennsylvania Wawa has police going bananas for a pair of potassium bandits.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2026
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Set against mountainous landscapes and rural lakes, the story follows a wandering swordsman who is falsely accused of stealing a shipment of gold and must unravel a web of intrigue involving bandits, palace guards and corrupt officials while attempting to clear his name.—
Lin Ying-Hsuan,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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New Orleans has long been notorious for embracing such scoundrels, a reputation that isn’t exactly helped by the fact that, for many years, disgraced attorneys who lost their licenses in Louisiana and applied for readmission to the bar often got it.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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Political leaders who encourage or tolerate such scoundrels should be driven from office.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Villains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villains. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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