as in brutes
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
only a heartless villain would kidnap a baby for ransom
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Recent Examples of villains
Sorkin finds no heroes but also no villains.
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The Know, Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2026
There’s also a massive leg lumbering in the distance which could be a Sentinel, the gigantic, mutant-hunting robots that are some of X-Men’s most iconic villains.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 6 Jan. 2026
Of course, Syndrome became one of Pixar's most iconic villains, and The Incredibles earned critical acclaim, including a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Jan. 2026
As seen in the previous season, Oliver isn't shy of treating villains in the harshest way possible, and Mark seems to have learned this lesson from his baby bro.
—Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 2 Jan. 2026
The story is set in Indiana in a fictional town called Hawkins that gets caught up with a paranormal world and its various villains.
—Katia Riddle, NPR, 31 Dec. 2025
While well intended, Zhao’s practice is the exact type of self-serious stunt that’s made the movie one of this year’s Oscar villains.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
Like the Red Ring goons at the bar, villains all over the city are more juiced up than ever, made stronger by enhancements provided by Shroud.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
In a world fraught with real-life villains, political upheaval and a collective sense of hopelessness, fantasy steps in to inspire people to carry on, and that rings especially true for LGBTQ+ teens.
—Brittany Johnson, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villains
Noun
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For much of his career, Skarsgård has gravitated toward characters who weaponize physical presence — Vikings, tech titans and mythic brutes whose power is immediately legible.—
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Credit to producers Tim Zinnemann and George Linder for selecting a veritable array of brutes to wage battle with Arnold.—
Noun
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In Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the Disney+ series adapted from Rick Riordan's bestselling book series, Walker Scobell plays the titular character, a demigod navigating the dangerous world of gods and monsters.—
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This bakery, which has been serving Louisville since 1924, offers a wide variety of Mardi Gras items, from King Cakes to cookies, thumbprints, cupcakes and the popular cookie monsters.—
Noun
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The first thing to do is to reduce the damage to the United States, the inflow of guns and criminals and immigrants and drugs into the United States, the destabilizing of a key part of the Western Hemisphere.—
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Also, place freezes with ChexSystems and the National Consumer Telecom and Utilities Exchange to stop criminals from opening bank accounts, phone lines, or utility services in his name.—
Noun
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Changes in the law regarding youth offenders and subsequent court rulings led a San Diego Superior Court judge on Tuesday to find that Williams fit the criteria to be resentenced.—
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Tierney blasted the parole system's handling of repeat violent offenders.—
Noun
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And then there are the infernal workers who make sure that Lucifer’s realm runs smoothly, among them farting devils, giants in chains, and a flying monster with the body of a serpent and the face of an honest man.—
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In odd years, the company produces the story of a group of pastores making a perilous trek to Bethlehem to pay their respects to the Holy Manger while fighting devils and their powerful leader Luzbel.—
Noun
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The robbery lasted less than seven minutes, as the bandits used a truck with an extendable ladder to cut through a window on a second-floor balcony, according to police.—
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In return, a lord provided his peasants with protection from bandits or invaders.—
Noun
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Giannis, a gentleman even in this era of scoundrels, likely wants to do right by the Bucks, too.—
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These twin influences, religious fervor and a preoccupation with dangerous men, would go on to define the next six decades of the director’s working life, finding expression as a conviction that even scoundrels are in possession of a soul.—
Noun
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But the fire guys are our first big Na’vi baddies.—
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My fellow baddies who brunch will love the effervescent Bellini Spritz, made with all-natural peach, guava, passion fruit and strawberry, or the Tropical Mai Tai, made with fresh pineapple, Key lime, and amaretto.—
Cite this Entry
“Villains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villains. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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