as in evil
that which is morally unacceptable
psychologists and sociologists have tried to discover the roots of such unspeakable villainy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of villainy
Despicable Me 2 In this 2013 sequel, Gru has officially retired from villainy and is now a devoted father to Margo, Edith and Agnes.
—
Emily Blackwood, People.com, 9 Jan. 2025
Or the constitutional dystopia in which we are now caught, beside which even the ugliest onscreen villainy pales into insignificance?
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025
Some of the most compelling performances of Hartnett’s career, though, dip more fully into villainy.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2024
His villainy changed shape throughout the evening, snarling in the company of cronies and darkly sweet in front of Tosca.
—Joshua Barone, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for villainy
Emily Blackwood, People.com, 9 Jan. 2025
Or the constitutional dystopia in which we are now caught, beside which even the ugliest onscreen villainy pales into insignificance?
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025
Some of the most compelling performances of Hartnett’s career, though, dip more fully into villainy.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2024
His villainy changed shape throughout the evening, snarling in the company of cronies and darkly sweet in front of Tosca.
—Joshua Barone, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for villainy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villainy
Noun
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Lucas loved the idealistic adventure reels of the ’30s and ’40s where good and evil were divided by a fresh coat of paint.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
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Like him, Hur Jin-ho is concerned with the fragility of moral standing and how mercurial these not-so-concrete notions of right and wrong can be when evil sleeps just down the hall.—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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While working together on The Unit, David Mamet once told you that good drama isn’t a choice between good and bad; good drama is the choice between two bads.—
Max Gao,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Jan. 2025
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Reports out of fall camp haven’t been super favorable to their offense, and while the defense will, again, be top-notch, a team with this bad of an offense cannot be trusted.—
Austin Mock,
The Athletic,
19 Aug. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Villainy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villainy. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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