villainous

[ vil-uh-nuhs ]
See synonyms for: villainousvillainousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. having a cruel, wicked, malicious nature or character.

  2. of, relating to, or befitting a villain: villainous treachery.

  1. outrageously base, wicked, or vile: a villainous attack on his character.

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

Origin of villainous

1
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at villain, -ous

Other words from villainous

  • vil·lain·ous·ly, adverb
  • vil·lain·ous·ness, noun
  • non·vil·lain·ous, adjective
  • non·vil·lain·ous·ly, adverb
  • non·vil·lain·ous·ness, noun
  • un·vil·lain·ous, adjective
  • un·vil·lain·ous·ly, adverb

Words Nearby villainous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use villainous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for villainous

villainous

/ (ˈvɪlənəs) /


adjective
  1. of, like, or appropriate to a villain

  2. very bad or disagreeable: a villainous climate

Derived forms of villainous

  • villainously, adverb
  • villainousness, 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