villain

noun

vil·​lain ˈvi-lən How to pronounce villain (audio)
1
: a character in a story or play who opposes the hero
2
: a deliberate scoundrel or criminal
3
: one blamed for a particular evil or difficulty
automation as the villain in job … displacementM. H. Goldberg
4
5
: an uncouth person : boor

Examples of villain in a Sentence

He plays the villain in most of his movies. She describes her first husband as a villain who treated her terribly. Don't try to make me the villain. It's your own fault that you're having these problems.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Yet if the Dodgers are to be cast as villains from the Book of Samuel, Toronto brought to the fight far more than pebbles. Andy McCullough, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025 The family moved to Hollywood 10 years later, and Gene Lockhart worked steadily as a character actor, usually in avuncular roles, sometimes as a villain. NPR, 25 Oct. 2025 For the 2017 Dress to Be Free Halloween Party at House of Yes in New York City, Cardi B went as one of Disney's most notorious villains. Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025 That's why Season of the Witch gives us a different hero (a doctor played by Tom Atkins), a new villain (Dan O'Herlihy), and a wild plot involving costume masks that offer deadly tricks and no treats to those who wear them. Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for villain

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vilain, vilein, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin villanus, from Latin villa

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Time Traveler
The first known use of villain was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Villain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/villain. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

villain

noun
vil·​lain ˈvil-ən How to pronounce villain (audio)
1
2
: an evil person : scoundrel
3
: a character in a story or play who opposes the hero

More from Merriam-Webster on villain

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