black hat

American  

[blak hat] / ˈblæk ˈhæt /

noun

Informal.

1. a villain, as in a cowboy movie; bad guy.

2. Also called black hat hacker.  Computers. a hacker who violates the security of a system without the knowledge or consent of the owner or developer, as for personal profit or for the gratification of causing damage.

---

idioms

1. wear / put on a black hat, to behave villainously.

black hat British  

noun

1. informal

   1. a computer hacker who carries out illegal malicious hacking work

   2. ( as modifier ) Compare white hat

      black-hat hackers

---

Other Word Forms

• black-hat adjective
• black-hatted adjective

Etymology

Origin of black hat

First recorded in 1955–60 black hat for def. 1, and in 1990–95 black hat for def. 2; from the black hat worn by the villain in a cowboy movie

Compare meaning

How does black-hat compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• white hat vs. black hat

Example Sentences

After Ahmed disarmed Akram, footage showed a man in a white shirt and a black hat running at the gunman and throwing an object at him.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

Elphaba arrives alone, outfitted in the pointy black hat that Glinda has tricked her into wearing, and gets teased by all her classmates as she has been since arriving at Shiz University.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2024

He no longer wears a black hat, either.

From Seattle Times • May 21, 2024

Ella Henderson stood out from the crowd in a huge, black hat - she's nominated for React, along with Switch Disco.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2024

His black hat was pulled down over his eyes and his yellow oilskin was strapped tight against his throat.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck