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Synonyms

baddie

American  
[bad-ee] / ˈbæd i /
Or baddy

noun

  • baddies
    plural
  1. a villainous or criminal person.

  2. Slang. a person who is perceived as attractive and self-assured, especially a woman.


baddie British  
/ ˈbædɪ /

noun

  1. a bad character in a story, film, etc, esp an opponent of the hero

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of baddie

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40; bad 1 + -ie

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Through her, Maddy personified a new kind of Latina baddie — one who defied constraints, and carried herself with a confidence that asked the rest of the world to meet her on her terms.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 4, 2026

The sleepy town of Hawkins is under quarantine as the show’s heroes search for a way to find and vanquish the baddie Vecna.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 23, 2025

"We have all the brilliant classic pantomime elements: a beastly baddie, a heroic heroine, amazing dance routines and side-splitting comedy," said Ms Wood.

From BBC Sep. 9, 2025

Since making the jump from beauty influencer to reggaeton mexa baddie, 23-year-old Mua is now running the scene.

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 20, 2025

Near the start there’s a scene where Clint Eastwood doesn't know if he has a bullet left in his gun to shoot the baddie.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Blundering onto early Los Angeles film sets, they can’t tell which baddies are real or fiction.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 1, 2026

In the minds of some retrograde dweebs, representing these baddies with a woman who could play Barbie was sacrilege.

From Salon May 5, 2026

Classic baddies from Cruella de Vil to the Joker have gotten movies that explore their origin stories and explain their damaged psyches.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 9, 2025

Campaigner Sir Alan Bates has said he wants the "real baddies" involved in the Post Office scandal to be held to account.

From BBC Dec. 16, 2024

And now we stood here, fake-smoking like the baddest of the baddies.

From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon

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