caitiff

noun

Definition of caitiffnext
as in villain
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person upon entering the store, I was beset by a caitiff in the guise of a salesman set on separating me from my money

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for caitiff
  1. villain
  2. brute
  3. savage
  4. monster
  5. devil
  6. wretch
  7. criminal
  8. knave
Noun
  • Also tossed in are picturesque but gratuitous use of famous tourist landmarks as background, near-superheroic training montages, credible intimate character dynamics, a ruthless villain (Johan Heldenbergh as Vanaken) and action that in the home stretch goes absurdly over-the-top.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 13 Jan. 2025
  • And though Young and (especially) the perpetrators of the massacre are clearly the villains of the piece, their past history at least partly explains their choices.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 10 Jan. 2025
Definition of villain
Noun
  • Maliki is a divisive brute whom Iran supports to the hilt.
    Dov Friedman, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2014
  • One million doctors to give care, 1.4 million brutes in cubicles doing their best to stop doctors from giving that care.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
Definition of brute
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
Definition of savage
Noun
  • This year there’s a new monster in the form of Atakhan, who does look quite cool, some changes to the early game objectives and some new boot upgrades, but that’s pretty much it.
    Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
  • The major averages fizzled at the finish line last year, following a monster performance.
    Sarah Min, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2025
Definition of monster
Noun
  • And there are folk devils being made all around us, so maybe another Nosferatu adaptation is more necessary than ever.
    Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Well of Radiance-using devil Exo as my big pull who is yes, better than all my other characters instantly.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
Definition of devil
Noun
  • The wretch in question has cut down one of the speaker’s spruce trees without his permission.
    Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2023
  • Had this poor wretch been well supplied with friends and money the result, as in numerous other instances, might have been different.
    San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2023
Definition of wretch
Noun
  • Other potential responses focus on the perpetrators rather than the puppeteers, prosecuting the petty criminals who carry out acts of sabotage or, in the Baltic Sea, boarding and impounding the offending vessel, as Finland did recently, and following up with a court case.
    Tamar Jacoby, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
  • In her petition, Conley wrote that deploying CHP officers and Solano County sheriff's deputies to Vallejo could help address crime, serve as a deterrent to potential criminals and provide support to an overworked police force.
    Louis Casiano, Fox News, 6 Jan. 2025
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • Human beings are motivated by virtue (knights) or rigid self-interest (knaves), or are passive victims of their circumstances (pawns).
    Sachin H. Jain, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
  • Still, our heroes are not traditional heroes but rather scoundrels and knaves and outcasts, all of whom have complex inner turmoil and compelling character arcs.
    Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
Definition of knave
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.

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Thesaurus Entries Near caitiff

caissons

caitiff

caitiffs

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Caitiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caitiff. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Top 12 Sophisticated Compliments

Word of the Year 2024 | Polarization

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
white rubber duck stands out in a row of yellow ducks
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.