villainnoun
uk/ˈvɪl.ən/us/ˈvɪl.ən/[ C ] a bad person who harms other people or breaks the law:
Some people believe that Richard III was not the villain he is generally thought to have been.
He's either a hero or a villain, depending on your point of view.
[ C ] UK informal a criminal:
Bert's just a small-time villain.
[ C ] a character in a book, play, film, etc. who harms other people:
He made his reputation as an actor playing villains.
[ C usually singular ] informal something or someone considered harmful or dangerous:
We've always been told that cholesterol was a major cause of heart disease but, actually, saturated fat is the worst villain.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Criminals - general words
- abet
- accessory
- accomplice
- crook
- culprit
- delinquent
- felon
- gangbanger
- gangland
- juvenile delinquent
- lawbreaker
- lowlife
- offender
- outlaw
- perp
- perpetrator
- probationer
- transgress
- wanted
- wrongdoer
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Literature
Difficult things and people
Worse and worst
Idiom(s)
villain of the piece