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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of villainous
Sinners’ very own vampire Jack O'Connell went in character with dark sunglasses and prosthetic fangs on the red carpet, perhaps still in character as his role as villainous Remmick.
—
Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 17 Mar. 2026
Gary’s story is quite a change of pace from the usual villainous role of snakes in Hollywood (see The Jungle Book, the Harry Potter franchise, Snakes on a Plane, Anaconda) and the perception of them in human societies more broadly (see the Book of Genesis).
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 15 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, Wood commands the screen in the creepy villainous role.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
The job title and description already sound like the basis for a villainous political satire, without even trying.
—Lorraine Ali
news, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for villainous
Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 17 Mar. 2026
Gary’s story is quite a change of pace from the usual villainous role of snakes in Hollywood (see The Jungle Book, the Harry Potter franchise, Snakes on a Plane, Anaconda) and the perception of them in human societies more broadly (see the Book of Genesis).
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 15 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, Wood commands the screen in the creepy villainous role.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
The job title and description already sound like the basis for a villainous political satire, without even trying.
—Lorraine Ali
news, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for villainous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villainous
Adjective
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There's very few probably as evil as Marsha Allen and Ashley Jones.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
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The earliest Greek philosophers focused their attention upon the origin and nature of the physical world; later philosophers have theorized about the nature of knowledge, truth, good and evil, love, friendship, and much more.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Lawyers for the church argue that Morris’ agreements with the church preclude him from those benefits if he was fired or resigned because of immoral behavior.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
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The Michigan State Police said Robert Wilson, 44, of Gaylord, was arrested on March 25 and lodged at the Otsego County Jail on one charge each of accosting a minor for immoral purposes and using a computer to commit a crime.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The unlawful increases also affect the basic plan, which saw a 2-euro increase in October 2024.—
Scharon Harding,
ArsTechnica,
3 Apr. 2026
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The teacher, Charissa Newport, faces a charge of unlawful restraint of a child younger than 17, according to the Keller Police Department.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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His father, who believes Sammie's music to be sinful, orders him to drop the guitar, but Sammie can't do it.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Mar. 2026
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The least sinful states in 2026 Wyoming was ranked the least sinful state in 2026, followed by New Hampshire, Idaho, Vermont, Maine, Minnesota, Utah, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Moreover, this isn’t your responsibility, particularly after a history of such vicious attacks.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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Be cautious — but don’t write off rattlesnakes as vicious, the experts say.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Slayyyter’s music is vile, explicit, and a threat to common decency.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
2 Apr. 2026
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Their vile chants are surely loud enough to be heard from 25 feet away.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Exceptionally well-written with equal parts spice, vinegar, wicked wit, and wonder how Charlie and Emma can possibly survive this unexpected turn in their lives after one simple question and one complicated answer threatens to blow everything up.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
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With stunning action set pieces, a delightfully wicked villain (Javier Bardem), and a surprisingly emotional through-line featuring M (Judi Dench), Skyfall resonated for casual moviegoers as much as diehard Bond devotees.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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On the last night that anybody else reportedly saw Nancy, that camera caught a glimpse of a person clad in dark clothes, wearing gloves and a black balaclava, unidentifiable, standing at the threshold.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
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Not only did that article form the basis of the film, but Lumet actually took the note and cast Pacino in the role of that dark, thin fellow.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Villainous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villainous. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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