as in brute
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
only a heartless villain would kidnap a baby for ransom
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of villain
Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation Rogue Nation set up what these films sorely lacked up until this point: a recurring villain in the shadowy Syndicate that could serve as a viable foil to Ethan Hunt’s IMF, the SPECTRE to his MI6.
—
Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 23 May 2025
Flashbacks to the first film, from 1996, introduce revelations that newer characters are related to those who died off in the original installment; monologue after monologue from heroes and villains alike details just how uniquely special a figure Hunt has become.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 23 May 2025
Haliburton, the natural heel as a Pacer in New York, assisted all-world villain Logan Paul in a Triple Threat Match against LA Knight and Santos Escobar.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Frey was the Game of Thrones villain who orchestrated that show’s infamous Red Wedding, a premeditated and highly violent attack on a large group of people that took place during a wedding reception.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for villain
Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 23 May 2025
Flashbacks to the first film, from 1996, introduce revelations that newer characters are related to those who died off in the original installment; monologue after monologue from heroes and villains alike details just how uniquely special a figure Hunt has become.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 23 May 2025
Haliburton, the natural heel as a Pacer in New York, assisted all-world villain Logan Paul in a Triple Threat Match against LA Knight and Santos Escobar.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Frey was the Game of Thrones villain who orchestrated that show’s infamous Red Wedding, a premeditated and highly violent attack on a large group of people that took place during a wedding reception.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for villain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villain
Noun
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Meanwhile, Conner was still battling his brute of a blue cat.—
Bob McNally,
Outdoor Life,
21 May 2025
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Then comes the arrival of General Zod and his two primary compatriots – a warrior woman and a silent hulking brute – who do battle with Superman around the city, causing much destruction and threatening the life of Lois Lane and her Daily Planet coworkers.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The message of Bring Her Back may be that grief is the real monster.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
30 May 2025
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But what’s interesting here is that Armstrong doesn’t write Venis as a one-dimensional monster.—
Andrew Wallenstein,
Variety,
28 May 2025
Noun
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Assign a devil’s advocate to challenge views and ensure richer discussions. 6.—
Nuala Walsh,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
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Mahnaz’s son is a Tasmanian devil spinning his ticking time bomb energy into entrepreneurial pursuits (running a gambling ring at school), bullying classmates and yelling at any adult that interferes with his forcefield.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
22 May 2025
Noun
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Or even those Californians, such as many in San Francisco and Los Angeles, who are just fed up with the perception that California is soft on criminals.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2025
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The Forgotten Gender Nonconformists of the Old West Livia Gershon April 27, 2018 In the Old West, cross-dressing was sometimes a disguise for criminals on the lam.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Often regarded by historians as a collection of savage tribes, the Scythians emerge as a pivotal force of the ancient world in this monumental history.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2023
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Nearly 32 years ago, Rodney King’s savage beating by police in Los Angeles prompted heartfelt calls for change.—
Aaron Morrison, Claudia Lauer and Adrian Sainz,
Anchorage Daily News,
29 Jan. 2023
Noun
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With Hoefnagel’s help, these little beasts represent themselves.—
Jonathon Keats,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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To work with Sly [Stallone] now, that dude is a beast.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 May 2025
Noun
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Like a Dickensian Andy Capp, Johnson is an uber-charming rogue, an everyman bluesy belter whose winking humor with a hint of the scoundrel are not entirely unlike Scott’s demeanor, though each man’s vocals, inflection and stage presence are/were clearly their own.—
Katherine Turman,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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In the first, Trump treated a moral hero as an ungrateful scoundrel.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But after a bandit attack leaves the children orphaned, the son dies.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
25 May 2025
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To make matters worse, it is hosted by former Family Feud kissing bandit Richard Dawson (who, let the record show, is a fantastic movie villain).—
EW.com,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Villain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villain. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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