as in brutes
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
only a heartless villain would kidnap a baby for ransom
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of villains
Like the Red Ring goons at the bar, villains all over the city are more juiced up than ever, made stronger by enhancements provided by Shroud.
—
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
Plus, there's plenty of new heroes and villains to root for and against.
—Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
In a world fraught with real-life villains, political upheaval and a collective sense of hopelessness, fantasy steps in to inspire people to carry on, and that rings especially true for LGBTQ+ teens.
—Brittany Johnson, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2025
Bathed in dark blue tones and noirish intrigue, Wicked City is a bit like Michael Mann’s Manhunter (which debuted a year earlier) if the villains were demonic terrorists instead of serial killers.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
After all those roles, Hollywood’s in-demand baddie insists villains get a bad rap.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
Yet if the Dodgers are to be cast as villains from the Book of Samuel, Toronto brought to the fight far more than pebbles.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Social media is abuzz with rumors that Disney theme parks might not keep villains around the parks year-round and would instead be relegated to the Halloween season.
—James Factora, Them., 24 Oct. 2025
The villains are utterly sincere and deranged, vicious and human.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
Plus, there's plenty of new heroes and villains to root for and against.
—Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
In a world fraught with real-life villains, political upheaval and a collective sense of hopelessness, fantasy steps in to inspire people to carry on, and that rings especially true for LGBTQ+ teens.
—Brittany Johnson, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2025
Bathed in dark blue tones and noirish intrigue, Wicked City is a bit like Michael Mann’s Manhunter (which debuted a year earlier) if the villains were demonic terrorists instead of serial killers.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
After all those roles, Hollywood’s in-demand baddie insists villains get a bad rap.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
Yet if the Dodgers are to be cast as villains from the Book of Samuel, Toronto brought to the fight far more than pebbles.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Social media is abuzz with rumors that Disney theme parks might not keep villains around the parks year-round and would instead be relegated to the Halloween season.
—James Factora, Them., 24 Oct. 2025
The villains are utterly sincere and deranged, vicious and human.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villains
Noun
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An extermination of the brutes in the Middle East, presided over by Obama’s successors, has been followed by a swift cancellation by Trumpian decree of the postracial age.—
Pankaj Mishra,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
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Some are slow and heavy brutes that have tons of health while others are slightly but deal more damage.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The project chronicles the adventures of Huntrix, a K-pop girl group comprising three members who just happen to also fight monsters from the underworld.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Nov. 2025
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As her fight for sobriety deepens, the line between inner demons and real monsters, blurs, culminating in a harrowing battle for survival and redemption.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The trio has a surprisingly good theory about the implosion of the makeshift Astral Pulse; seems like Shroud never found the original, and someone has been outfitting low-level criminals with bootlegs that are going awry like Robert’s.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
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With spoofing tools, criminals can mimic real bank phone numbers and even use AI to reproduce familiar voices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The laws expand on prior legislation by increasing penalties for offenders and allowing vehicles to be towed for reckless driving.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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Police Chief Johnny Jennings decried repeat criminal offenders and said Mecklenburg County again needs a detention facility for teenagers during a lunch in south Charlotte on Tuesday.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Its depictions of dancing devils and witches’ sabbaths are supposed to scare viewers straight, but writer-director Benjamin Christensen is also sympathetic towards the plight of medieval women persecuted for witchcraft.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
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The anime series follows a young man who can demolish fellow devils via a pullstring in his chest that transforms parts of his body into chainsaws.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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These are the grifting savages who’ve shown their gratitude to hard-working Americans who rescued them from their primitive native lands by robbing us blind while calling us racists and demanding even more handouts.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The country has faced years of bloodshed from Boko Haram militants and armed bandits, whose motives are often linked more to territorial control and ransom than to religion.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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In classical antiquity, the mountainous region was notorious for bandits; in modern times, blood feuds among clans were rife.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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Swashbucklers, scoundrels, bandits and buccaneers will soon be bellying up to the bar inside a lively new pirate pub at Walt Disney World that’s already booked solid for the first two months and promises to be a must-have reservation for visitors.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Villains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villains. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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