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

Covering Wilson’s left hand is the golden gauntlet worn by Thanos, the Marvel supervillain. —Sean Gregory, Time, 10 Dec. 2025

After a whirlwind of creative activity, a new supervillain arrived on the scene. —Kevin Lewis, IndieWire, 8 Dec. 2025

For one, the nefarious Shroud (Matthew Mercer) is taken down and the Red Ring members are arrested, while the Z-Team — supervillains trying to turn over a new leaf through the SDN's Phoenix Program — emerge as unlikely heroes. —Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Nov. 2025

Robert ends up stopping at The Sardine, the supervillain bar from before, to drown his sorrows. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for supervillain

• ampicillin
• methicillin
• penicillin
• pyroxylin
• amoxicillin
• carbenicillin
• haematoxylin
• millon
• villain
• vanillin