bad guy
noun
1
informal
: the villain in a story : baddie
played the bad guy in the movie
2
informal
: someone who is likened to the villain in a story: such as
a
: a criminal
Designed to keep guns out of the hands of bad guys and children …—
Popular Science
Popular Science
b
: a military enemy
… a decision that owes more to parochial conflicts within the Armed Forces than to doing the best job of surveilling bad guys.—Stuart F. Brown
Stuart F. Brown
c
: someone who deserves to be blamed or criticized for causing a bad situation
Meanwhile, it's the environmentalists who are now portrayed as the bad guys, hiring lots of lawyers, consorting with congressmen …—Eric Alterman
Eric Alterman
d
: a person who treats other people harshly or strictly : a person who says or does unpopular things
Parenting isn't just about having beautiful kids and being busy. It's about dealing with problems, and your success as a parent depends on your willingness to be the bad guy. If you aren't willing to be the bad guy, you shouldn't be a parent.—Roy Bragg
Roy BraggExamples of bad guy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Consider smarmy tech bad guy Bousquet, who disappears throughout the film (fine, acceptable), or Danielle’s close friend and treasury head Joanna (Elizabeth Marvel) who does the same (criminal, for many reasons).
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2025
This new game features many of Marvel’s most iconic characters like Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Storm, and more in solo or cooperative battles against bad guys.
—David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
This is when the Forsaken called Sammael chooses to launch an attack, but the battle-scarred bad guy and his evil Aiel followers are quickly mowed down, not just by Rand but also by Aviendha, who bursts in wielding magic flaming spears.
—Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 3 Apr. 2025
Her dad, Ric Flair, also said that Charlotte has really taken to being a bad guy, which is her natural personality in wrestling.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bad guy
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.
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2025
This new game features many of Marvel’s most iconic characters like Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Storm, and more in solo or cooperative battles against bad guys.
—David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
This is when the Forsaken called Sammael chooses to launch an attack, but the battle-scarred bad guy and his evil Aiel followers are quickly mowed down, not just by Rand but also by Aviendha, who bursts in wielding magic flaming spears.
—Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 3 Apr. 2025
Her dad, Ric Flair, also said that Charlotte has really taken to being a bad guy, which is her natural personality in wrestling.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bad guy
Cite this Entry
“Bad guy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bad%20guy. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share