villainy

[ vil-uh-nee ]
See synonyms for villainy on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural vil·lain·ies.
  1. the actions or conduct of a villain; outrageous wickedness.

  2. a villainous act or deed.

  1. Obsolete. villeinage.

Origin of villainy

1
1175–1225; Middle English vile(i)nie, vilainie<Old French. See villain, -y3

Words Nearby villainy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use villainy in a sentence

  • The fact that no thorough scoundrel ever yet confined himself to one or two pieces of villainy.

    The Garret and the Garden | R.M. Ballantyne
  • If underneath his villainy there are concealed the instincts of a gentleman, let him have the chance of dying like one.

    The Light That Lures | Percy Brebner
  • And we, the descendants of the conquerors; we knights tolerate such villainy!

  • He has been described erroneously as a master of complicated villainy.

    American Sketches | Charles Whibley
  • That a due rigour and restraint be laid upon the second, that villainy and knavery might not be encouraged by a law.

    An Essay upon Projects | Daniel Defoe

British Dictionary definitions for villainy

villainy

/ (ˈvɪlənɪ) /


nounplural -lainies
  1. conduct befitting a villain; vicious behaviour or action

  2. an evil, abhorrent, or criminal act or deed

  1. the fact or condition of being villainous

  2. English history a rare word for villeinage

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