villain

American  

[vil-uhn] / ˈvɪl ən /

noun

1. a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime; scoundrel.

   Synonyms:

   scamp, rogue, rapscallion, rascal, knave

2. a character in a play, novel, or the like, who constitutes an important evil agency in the plot.

3. a person or thing considered to be the cause of something bad.

   Fear is the villain that can sabotage our goals.

4. villein.

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villain British  

/ ˈvɪlən /

noun

1. a wicked or malevolent person

2. (in a novel, play, film, etc) the main evil character and antagonist to the hero

3. humorous a mischievous person; rogue

4. slang:police a criminal

5. history a variant spelling of villein

6. obsolete an uncouth person; boor

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Other Word Forms

• subvillain noun
• undervillain noun
• villainess noun

Etymology

Origin of villain

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English vilein, vilain “churlish rustic, serf,” from Middle French, from Vulgar Latin and Medieval Latin villānus “a farm servant, farmhand”; villa, -an

Explanation

A villain is a bad person — real or made up. In books, movies, current events, or history, the villain is the character who does mean, evil things on purpose. Today a villain is a wicked person, whether in fact or fiction. In the 1300s, villain described a low-born rustic. It came from the Medieval Latin word villanus, or farmhand. Just why a word would evolve from meaning farmer into evildoer is a little mysterious, although it probably has to do with farmers not being chivalrous, like the knights who were so admired in those days.

Example Sentences

Dexter: Original Sin actor Patrick Gibson will be starring in the role of 007, with the game's main villain, Bawma, being played by US singer Lenny Kravitz.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

It sounds like something a James Bond — or cartoon — villain would come up with, but there it is.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

Just when it looked like the evening's pantomime villain would be an unlikely match-winner, White was penalised for a lunge on Federico Vinas in stoppage time.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

If the plate umpire goes, with it goes one of baseball’s most entertaining/maddening presences–a puff-chested judge and jury, a baked-in villain, an essential part of the game’s pacing and flow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

‘Bosun’s mate, take a bight of the flying-jib sheet, and start this villain if he doesn’t confess his sins double quick,’ said the British captain.

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

Related Words

• antihero
• bad guy
• baddie
• baddy
• criminal
• devil
• scoundrel
• sinner