as in brute
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
only a heartless villain would kidnap a baby for ransom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of villain
But new life and civilizations await, including a villain that will test our characters’ grit and resolve.
—
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2025
In this anime, when a mysterious villain threatens to open the gates of Hell, a devilishly handsome demon hunter could be the world’s best hope for salvation.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 31 Mar. 2025
Majors also played the mega villain He Who Remains in Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaia.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2025
As previously announced, Robert Downey Jr. will be back as the villain Doctor Doom instead of Iron Man.
—Michaela Zee, Variety, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for villain
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2025
In this anime, when a mysterious villain threatens to open the gates of Hell, a devilishly handsome demon hunter could be the world’s best hope for salvation.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 31 Mar. 2025
Majors also played the mega villain He Who Remains in Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaia.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2025
As previously announced, Robert Downey Jr. will be back as the villain Doctor Doom instead of Iron Man.
—Michaela Zee, Variety, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for villain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villain
Noun
-
By the end of the episode, the audience is eager to meet the antihero, the brute, that everyone is talking about.—
Maelle Beauget-Uhl,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
-
Slinging a sports coat over his pajamas, Long pulls up to a curb and finds Tay (Dustin Nguyen), the Vietnamese speaker, plus two silent brutes, Eddie (Phi Vu) and Aden (Dali Benssalah), who muscle into his car and take over everything: the seating arrangements, the air freshener and their driver.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Natalie and a real-estate agent named Dawn (Danielle Brooks), in search of the missing Henry, make their way to the Overworld, too, and the four team up with Steve in a painfully generic adventure to fight off monsters, find another Crystal, save the Overworld (and Dennis), and get back home.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The space monsters are also entirely terrifying, gestating inside young suns to hideously emerge as massive space insects.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
To break the cycle of bias, Play devil’s advocate with yourself.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Fire in the birthing cabin, where another devil stands.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
This exemption obligates the IRS to assist law enforcement in the pursuit of criminals and will be used against any migrant who has overstayed for more than 90 days as part of the carveout.—
Benjamin Siegel,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Learning of such proactivity reminds me of how cutting-edge cybersecurity firms now use AI to go on the offensive against criminals.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
But this is the nature of the beast, and the reality of a team who just experienced the most disappointing year in franchise history.—
Shane Young,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
By trampling shrubs, the beasts would encourage the growth of grasses that are good at absorbing greenhouse gases.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The first episode was a huge departure for the series, starring Bradley Cooper as a Civil War-era scoundrel, ancestor to the Gemstones, and the main cast wasn’t there at all.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
-
One thing was certain: Per its title, it was set in the demimonde of the galaxy far, far away, among its scoundrels, and smugglers, and bounty hunters and assorted other criminals.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Then one day, Moses the Black is struck with the horror of it all and joins a desert monastery, where he's eventually killed by another group of bandits.—
Marco della Cava,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Instead, her love interest is a charming bandit named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), cut from the same cloth as the animated Flynn from Disney’s Tangled.—
Josh Spiegel,
The Hollywood Reporter,
22 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Villain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villain. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share