villainous

[vil-uh-nuh s]

See more synonyms for villainous on Thesaurus.com

adjective

having a cruel, wicked, malicious nature or character.
of, relating to, or befitting a villain: villainous treachery.
outrageously base, wicked, or vile: a villainous attack on his character.

very objectionable or unpleasant; bad; wretched: a villainous storm.

Origin of villainous

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at villain, -ous

Related formsvil·lain·ous·ly, adverbvil·lain·ous·ness, nounnon·vil·lain·ous, adjectivenon·vil·lain·ous·ly, adverbnon·vil·lain·ous·ness, nounun·vil·lain·ous, adjectiveun·vil·lain·ous·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for villainous

Contemporary Examples

She is against the patriarchy, especially when personified in villainous ogres like the Duke of Deception.
Wonder Woman’s Creation Story Is Wilder Than You Could Ever Imagine
Tom Arnold-Forster
November 3, 2014
So the man who plays the villainous Frank Underwood does have a lighter side after all.
Viral Video of the Day: Kevin Spacey Goes Bollywood
The Daily Beast Video
April 28, 2014
Surely there will be villainous pirates, distracting mermaids, tides change in the new open water chapter of my journey.
Lindsay Mills, Edward Snowden’s Girlfriend, Writes ‘All I Feel Is Alone’
Caroline Linton
June 11, 2013
You have an interest in comedy, yet keep getting pegged as these villainous characters.
Michael Emerson: The Lost Interview
Kara Cutruzzula
February 10, 2009

Historical Examples

You don't know, darling, the wickedness of that villainous baggage.
The Imaginary Invalid
Molire
Wrens and sparrows are not too ignoble a quarry for this villainous gos-hawk!
Clarissa, Volume 2 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
The light was dim, the liquor was villainous, and the air was dense with tobacco smoke.
The Hunted Outlaw
Anonymous
That's what it is to be shut up in these villainous ramparts.
The Fortune of the Rougons
Emile Zola
The five men were here—Groff and four of his villainous companions.
The World Beyond
Raymond King Cummings

British Dictionary definitions for villainous

villainous

adjective

of, like, or appropriate to a villain
very bad or disagreeablea villainous climate

Derived Formsvillainously, adverbvillainousness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for villainous

adj.

c.1300, from Old French vileneus, from villain; see villain.

villainous

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}villainous

Related Words

Examples from the Web for villainous

Contemporary Examples

She is against the patriarchy, especially when personified in villainous ogres like the Duke of Deception.

So the man who plays the villainous Frank Underwood does have a lighter side after all.

Surely there will be villainous pirates, distracting mermaids, tides change in the new open water chapter of my journey.

You have an interest in comedy, yet keep getting pegged as these villainous characters.

Historical Examples

You don't know, darling, the wickedness of that villainous baggage.

Wrens and sparrows are not too ignoble a quarry for this villainous gos-hawk!

The light was dim, the liquor was villainous, and the air was dense with tobacco smoke.

That's what it is to be shut up in these villainous ramparts.

The five men were here—Groff and four of his villainous companions.

villainous

Word Origin and History for villainous

adj.

Origin of villainous