as in brute
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
only a heartless villain would kidnap a baby for ransom
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of villain
Sam’s snarky quips when fending off villains’ advances are ribald and don’t land.
—
Courtney Howard, Variety, 16 June 2025
Lasker is recurring as Mr. 9, one of the villains in the Baroque Works criminal organization in season two of Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the expansive manga and anime series.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025
Your grandmother probably heard about a certain teenage love triangle — involving Rodrigo, her High School Musical: The Musical: The Series co-star Joshua Bassett, and Carpenter, who was made the villain.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2025
New threats emerge, including a ruthless new villain (Bill Skarsgård) and a blind assassin from Wick’s past, played by Donnie Yen in a standout performance.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for villain
Courtney Howard, Variety, 16 June 2025
Lasker is recurring as Mr. 9, one of the villains in the Baroque Works criminal organization in season two of Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the expansive manga and anime series.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025
Your grandmother probably heard about a certain teenage love triangle — involving Rodrigo, her High School Musical: The Musical: The Series co-star Joshua Bassett, and Carpenter, who was made the villain.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2025
New threats emerge, including a ruthless new villain (Bill Skarsgård) and a blind assassin from Wick’s past, played by Donnie Yen in a standout performance.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for villain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villain
Noun
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This freshly re-imagined Jag is worlds apart from that old German brute, but was similar in the sense of feeling wonderfully light and responsive, and utilizing hydraulic fluid to power its steering.—
Peter Nelson,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
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Cops released surveillance photos of a trio of brutes wanted for punching, repeatedly stabbing and robbing a man on a Bronx train last month.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
7 June 2025
Noun
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Aptly credited, The Stranger (Brian Villalobos) is only part of that problem and not the centerpiece practical effects portion of this film that monster fans should look forward to.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
8 June 2025
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These are no longer simple monster features with slight tints of horror.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
6 June 2025
Noun
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And Tony nominee Daniel J. Watts nails his portrayal of Sammy Davis Jr. as a real-life devil on the shoulder of the conflicted trailblazer, while Krystal Joy Brown, Kathy Fitzgerald, Ruby Lewis and Kenita Miller turn out stellar performances in multiple roles.—
Karu F. Daniels,
New York Daily News,
12 June 2025
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Photo : Riva Yachts Riva 68 Diable The 68 Diable lives up to its name—a handsome devil that will be the most stunning yacht at Venice.—
Julia Zaltzman,
Robb Report,
28 May 2025
Noun
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Their records contain sensitive personal information, that, if leaked, could allow criminals to steal the identities of unsuspecting customers.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
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Cruz, the son of an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador who came to the U.S. in the 1970s, said he’s angered by the federal government’s portrayal that anyone without documents living in the United States is a criminal.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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Some 20 minutes later, an 8-foot beast finally rises to the surface, revealing the heavyweight at the end of the line.—
Chris Dorsey,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
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One night, during a common raid by the beasts, Hiccup snares a Night Fury, a swift and cunning dragon that the Berkians know little about.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
8 June 2025
Noun
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Like a Dickensian Andy Capp, Johnson is an uber-charming rogue, an everyman bluesy belter whose winking humor with a hint of the scoundrel are not entirely unlike Scott’s demeanor, though each man’s vocals, inflection and stage presence are/were clearly their own.—
Katherine Turman,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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In the first, Trump treated a moral hero as an ungrateful scoundrel.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Ensure Robust Model Management In healthcare, AI reliability demands robust model management—continuous monitoring, causal inference in production, multi-arm bandit testing and human-in-the-loop oversight.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
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There were corridos about the exploits of bandits and outlaws, some of them Robin Hood-esque characters who outwitted oafish authorities and helped the poor.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Villain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villain. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.
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