supervillain

noun

su·​per·​vil·​lain ˈsü-pər-ˌvi-lən 

plural supervillains

: a fictional villain having extraordinary or superhuman powers

In more recent years, [Jon] Cryer appeared as legendary supervillain Lex Luthor in the CW drama Supergirl.

—Martin Holmens

… the issue will feature Spider-Man facing off against the Sinister Six, which includes supervillains Doctor Octopus, Vulture, Mysterio, Sandman, Electro and Kraven the Hunter …

—Jeremy Childs

also : a person or entity likened to a supervillain

On the show, [Elon] Musk suggests there is a "fast way and a slow way" to raise the temperatures of Mars before sharing the fast way is to "drop thermonuclear weapons over the poles." The idea is greeted by [Stephen] Colbert calling Musk a supervillain, to which Musk just casually responds, "Yeah."

—AJ Dellinger

compare superhero, superheroine

Examples of supervillain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

From there, Todd went to Hollywood and put together a storied career in horror films (as both heroes and villains) and superhero series (voicing some of the top supervillains in comics). —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 12 Nov. 2024

Marsters has been a genre mainstay on TV ever since, from the supervillain Brainiac on Smallville (2005–2010), to a guest spot on Torchwood (2008), to recurring appearances as terrorist Barnabas Greeley in Syfy's Caprica (2010). —Danny Horn, EW.com, 5 Oct. 2024

Avengers: Doomsday, with Iron Man veteran Robert Downey, Jr. returning to the Marvel universe to play supervillain Doctor Doom, is also expected to start filming in 2025. —EW.com, 23 Oct. 2024

Although her Marvel Comics inspiration has had plenty to do over the years, she’s not exactly been billed on the same supervillain level as a Thanos or a Dr. Doom. —Caroline Framke, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above