villainous

[ vil-uh-nuh s ]

/ ˈvɪl ə nəs /

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 forms

vil·lain·ous·ly, adverbvil·lain·ous·ness, nounnon·vil·lain·ous, adjectivenon·vil·lain·ous·ly, adverb

non·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. 2019

Examples from the Web for villainously

You have a way of keeping your head that I like, and your style is not so villainously bad.
When a Man's Single|J. M. Barrie
Thereupon two of the men tied my hands in front of me, bound my legs securely, and thrust a villainously dirty gag in my mouth.
Danger Signals|John A. Hill and Jasper Ewing Brady
"It is villainously unhealthy round here," said this officer, who spoke to me after he had given his news to the cavalry general.
From Bapaume to Passchendaele, 1917|Philip Gibbs
The river-water here is quite warm, and of a villainously alum and sulphurous taste.
Wonders of the Yellowstone|James Richardson

Probably not, since he calls Hindhead "the most villainously ugly spot on God's Earth."
Highways and Byways in Surrey|Eric Parker

British Dictionary definitions for villainously

villainous

/ (ˈvɪlənəs) /

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 villainously