as in evil
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable
villainous behavior that made him one of the most notorious figures in history and gave rise to the legend of Dracula
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Recent Examples of villainous
Ne Zha’s mother is transmogrified into a magical pill at the hands of the story’s villainous mastermind, the immortal Wuliang.
—
Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
The chipmunks teamed with an Australian mouse named Monterey Jack, his dragonfly pal Zipper, and the team’s mechanic, Gadget Hackwrench, to battle such villainous characters as Fat Cat and Professor Norton Nimnul.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Mark Hamill follows up another 2025 King adaptation, The Life of Chuck, as a villainous character known as The Major.
—Jack Smart, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Director Macon Blair originally thought of Dinklage for the movie's villainous CEO (played by Kevin Bacon), then decided Winston seemed a better fit.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for villainous
Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
The chipmunks teamed with an Australian mouse named Monterey Jack, his dragonfly pal Zipper, and the team’s mechanic, Gadget Hackwrench, to battle such villainous characters as Fat Cat and Professor Norton Nimnul.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Mark Hamill follows up another 2025 King adaptation, The Life of Chuck, as a villainous character known as The Major.
—Jack Smart, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Director Macon Blair originally thought of Dinklage for the movie's villainous CEO (played by Kevin Bacon), then decided Winston seemed a better fit.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for villainous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villainous
Adjective
-
The inexcusable, evil acts of an individual.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Sep. 2025
-
He and his followers were locked in a battle with an enemy that was not just ideologically opposed but unwell, possibly evil.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, cousin Edmund, an aspiring clergyman, falls under the charms of Mary Crawford, written by Austen as a charming but immoral woman.—
Emily Zarevich,
JSTOR Daily,
11 Sep. 2025
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Ladapo said the decision was not reached according to the data, but instead on his view that vaccine mandates are immoral and outside the scope of the government’s authority.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In November, jurors convicted Martinez of unlawful compensation and a related conspiracy charge.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
15 Sep. 2025
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The world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice, has ruled that there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza, and that Israel’s occupation and apartheid against Palestinians are unlawful.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In an important variation, medieval soldiers returning from war regularly spent an extended period of penance in monasteries – a recognition of Catholicism’s teaching that any war is inherently sinful.—
Timothy Gabrielli,
The Conversation,
25 Aug. 2025
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Don’t dream of leaving without ordering a gigantic slice of the coconut cake with cream cheese frosting—sinful and certainly comforting.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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As and when evidence against that narrative comes out, either via six monthly reports or from some other source, the crash in the stock price will be more vicious than otherwise.—
Shivaram Rajgopal,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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In these homes, the conflict between budgeting and feeding kids well creates huge psychological stress for parents, which can lead to anxiety and depression, fueling the vicious cycle of stress and unhealthy eating, Beresin said.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The lingering effects of an incident so vile occurring within Burning man’s sweet bubble are bound to affect people for a long time.—
Denver Nicks,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
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This vile, heartless remark is completely unacceptable—especially from someone entrusted with our children.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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On the other hand, in many cases, there does seem to be something wicked about those who are dedicating their time to cancelling others.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
17 Sep. 2025
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Those of us trying to explain these wicked things to our children.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The night serum visibly smooths wrinkles, reduces fine lines, and soothes the appearance of dark circles and uneven skin tone.—
Gabriela Izquierdo,
Southern Living,
17 Sep. 2025
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The scent is smoky yet sweet, spicy yet smooth, dark but with an underlying lightness—the result of combining clean white musk with rose, tobacco, suede, and cumin.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Villainous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villainous. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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