British The person or thing responsible for all of the trouble or harm in a particular situation: TV tends to be cast as the villain of the piece Holdsworth was the villain of the piece when he missed an open goal...- He thinks she's trying to make him out to be the villain of the piece.
- The locked-up wife is transformed into the villain of the piece.
- Jones, the villain of the piece to Americans, was an Australian.
See parent entry: villain