What does "villain" mean?
A vile, wicked person.
Villain
/ˈvɪl.ən/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A vile, wicked person.
- Grammar: villain is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: baddie, scoundrel, actor, actress.
- Useful contrasts: model character, adventurers, aeneas.
- Usage evidence: One murder makes a villain, millions a hero.
How to use "villain"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "villain" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "villain" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "villain" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "villain" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "villain" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "baddie" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "villain", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A vile, wicked person.
"Oh moſt pernicious woman! / Oh Villaine, Villaine, ſmiling damned Villaine!"
- 2 a wicked or evil person; someone who does evil deliberately wordnet
- 3 A vile, wicked person.; An extremely depraved person, or one capable or guilty of great crimes.
- 4 the principal bad character in a film or work of fiction wordnet
- 5 A vile, wicked person.; A deliberate scoundrel.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A low-born, abject person. archaic, derogatory
"Note the preſumption of this Scythian ſlaue: I tel thee villaine, thoſe that lead my horſe Haue to their names tytles of dignitie, And dar’ſt thou bluntly cal me Baiazeth?"
- 7 A character who has the role of being bad, especially antagonizing the hero; an antagonist who is also evil or malevolent.
"Miss Phyllis Morgan, as the hapless heroine dressed in the shabbiest of clothes, appears in the midst of a gay and giddy throng; she apostrophises all and sundry there, including the villain, and has a magnificent scene which always brings down the house, and nightly adds to her histrionic laurels."
- 8 Any opponent player, especially a hypothetical player for example and didactic purposes. Compare: hero (“the current player”).
"Let's discuss how to play if you are the chip leader (that is, if you have more chips than all the villains)."
- 9 Archaic form of villein (“feudal tenant, peasant, serf”). alt-of, archaic
Verb
- 1 To debase; to degrade . obsolete, transitive
Antonyms
Example
"One murder makes a villain, millions a hero."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "villain"?
Common synonyms include: baddie, scoundrel, actor, actress, adversary, antagonist.
How do you use "villain" in a sentence?
One murder makes a villain, millions a hero.
How do you pronounce "villain"?
Pronounced /ˈvɪl.ən/.
Etymology
Probably from Middle English vilein, from Old French vilein (modern French vilain), in turn from Late Latin vīllānus, meaning serf or peasant, someone who is bound to the soil of a Latin vīlla, which is to say, worked on the equivalent of a plantation in late Antiquity, in Italy or Gaul. Doublet of villein.