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Synonyms

baddie

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

noun

plural

baddies
  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

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.

But the movie needs him to be the baddie, so he reverts to evildoing for no apparent reason.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 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

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

The “office siren” trend is still a key aesthetic framework on TikTok, where fashion content on how to dress like a baddie at the office continues to go viral.

From Slate • Dec. 2, 2024

Or maybe it was just some random baddie, heading for the Doors of Death.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

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