as in brute
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
only a heartless villain would kidnap a baby for ransom
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Recent Examples of villain
However, no superhero story is complete without a villain.
—
Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Even a seeming villain like Dunster’s Archie gets intriguing shading over the course of the season.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
There were undeniably some highlights in the last hour of the ceremony, namely Theron’s inexplicable presence, rapper Ghali and his wonky dove made of dancers, and of course Andrea Bocelli, looking like an extremely suave Bond villain.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2026
But there’s a throughline in Smith’s most popular works — he’s been cast repeatedly as a villain, and usually an arrogant or smug one.
—Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for villain
Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Even a seeming villain like Dunster’s Archie gets intriguing shading over the course of the season.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
There were undeniably some highlights in the last hour of the ceremony, namely Theron’s inexplicable presence, rapper Ghali and his wonky dove made of dancers, and of course Andrea Bocelli, looking like an extremely suave Bond villain.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2026
But there’s a throughline in Smith’s most popular works — he’s been cast repeatedly as a villain, and usually an arrogant or smug one.
—Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for villain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villain
Noun
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For much of his career, Skarsgård has gravitated toward characters who weaponize physical presence — Vikings, tech titans and mythic brutes whose power is immediately legible.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
9 Jan. 2026
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As usual, Lang plays the brute’s Heart of Darkness–esque descent into madness with gleeful relish.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The couple has clearly created a monster.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
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Or a family battling an evil monster.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Violence is widespread in the city proper, with large encampments where meth and other drugs are readily available and criminals reportedly exploit the city’s free bus system to carry out offenses.—
Michael Ruiz , Adriana James-Rodil,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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Godwin is well known in the space, having assisted law enforcement nationwide leading to the removal of hundreds of criminals from the streets.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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To play devil’s advocate, Rodriguez has exhausted a lot of patience (there’s a funny quote in Felipe Cardenas’ analysis about his physical stats).—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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Among the fastest-growing indoor plants is golden pathos or devil’s ivy (Epipremnum aureum).—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Urus, a snarling, spitting savage dressed up in an orange tuxedo, will cause a commotion at the supermarket, gym and park.—
Josh Max,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
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Brutal, savage, and gory, this movie follows a home invasion on Christmas Eve where a mysterious woman (Béatrice Dalle) tries to steal an unborn baby right out of another woman's (Alysson Paradis) pregnant belly.—
Huntley Woods,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Cowley wants to champion policies that attack the root causes of violence while holding offenders accountable, according to her campaign website.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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My key priorities include prosecuting violent offenders, gangs, traffickers, fentanyl dealers, and cartels; supporting local law enforcement; pursuing lawsuits to defend Texas; and aggressively investigating and prosecuting fraud.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Going back to the origins of everyone's favorite scoundrel, Han Solo, may have felt like a no-brainer — especially with Kasdan on board as co-writer — but the film never felt like an essential addition to the rapidly expanding canon.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
17 Dec. 2025
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Giannis, a gentleman even in this era of scoundrels, likely wants to do right by the Bucks, too.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The dispatch Compass is that rare beast — a British company that is a genuine world leader in its field.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
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The place was used for wild beast hunts, public executions, and gladiator fights for several hundred years, then became a condo of sorts as medieval Romans made their homes in the hulking ruins.—
Katie Parla,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Villain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villain. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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