as in brute
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
only a heartless villain would kidnap a baby for ransom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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 villain
The couple was first set up by Michael Rosenbaum, who played villain Lex Luthor on the television series Smallville, which ran from 2001 to 2011.
—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
5 July 2026
But the rub this time is the introduction of Varang (Oona Chaplin), an unhinged leader of a tribe who allies herself with human villains.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 July 2026
In the public discourse, data centers have largely been cast as the villains of the AI boom—voracious consumers of natural resources that power our chatbots but threaten our climate progress.
—
Sasha Luccioni,
Time,
3 July 2026
Nate becomes fed up with his girlfriend’s workaholic lifestyle because of her demanding boss, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), and years later fans would go on to view Nate — not Miranda — as the real villain of the film.
—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for villain
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
5 July 2026
But the rub this time is the introduction of Varang (Oona Chaplin), an unhinged leader of a tribe who allies herself with human villains.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 July 2026
In the public discourse, data centers have largely been cast as the villains of the AI boom—voracious consumers of natural resources that power our chatbots but threaten our climate progress.
—
Sasha Luccioni,
Time,
3 July 2026
Nate becomes fed up with his girlfriend’s workaholic lifestyle because of her demanding boss, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), and years later fans would go on to view Nate — not Miranda — as the real villain of the film.
—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for villain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villain
Noun
-
Shinnecock was still a brute of a test, but the red numbers on the white scoreboard were an unfamiliar site for this course.
-
These brutes commonly exceed 50 pounds.
Noun
-
Go on, put the 131-cube (2,147 cc) monster engine into that one.
-
There’s no way the doll monsters at the pond were the whole point of the Lake of Tears, right?
Noun
-
Data that appears to be compliance information to a regulator can appear to be a target list to a criminal.
-
The Colorado attorney general oversees more than 700 attorneys and staff and manages legal manners spanning consumer protection, civil rights, criminal, water, constitutional and environmental law.
Noun
-
Also called devil's snare, the plant's seeds, roots, stems, and leaves are all dangerous if ingested.
-
Beloved baby brother, American [WWII bronze star veteran], husband, father of 4 strong women, [grandpa], adorable scamp, handsome devil, and trickster to the end.
Noun
-
Schoolchildren meet veterans from the savage fight in Ukraine.
-
Perhaps the most striking thing about this savage beatdown is its sweetly melodic backing track.
Noun
-
Independence Day celebrations come in the most challenging threat environment since 9/11, with the ongoing terror threat, a rise in political violence and continuing fears about lone-wolf offenders, according to Raia.
-
There were also concerns listed in the analysis that the registry, which dates back to 1947, could include LGBTQ+ offenders from decades ago who were convicted of offenses that are no longer crimes.
Noun
-
And the surviving cartel scoundrels take the parting shot by kidnapping beloved Carter, putting a hood on him and taking the boy off.
-
Star Wars Outlaws on Switch 2 drops you into the galaxy’s underworld as Kay Vess, a scoundrel trying to pull off the biggest heist in the Outer Rim.
Noun
-
Each song is about a different mythical beast, with a moral within each story.
-
Perhaps another beast could be used for making hamburgers instead.
Cite this Entry
“Villain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villain. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
