villain en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈvɪl.ən/
- (US) audio
- /ˈvɪl.jən/ (dialectal)
Etymology
Probably from Middle English vilein, from Old French vilein (modern French vilain), in turn from Late Latin vīllānus, meaning serf or peasant, someone who is bound to the soil of a Latin vīlla, which is to say, worked on the equivalent of a plantation in late Antiquity, in Italy or Gaul. Doublet of villein. Compare typologically pagan (see more).
Meanings
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A vile, wicked person.
Oh moſt pernicious woman! / Oh Villaine, Villaine, ſmiling damned Villaine!
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene v], page 258, column 1:Thou ly’ſt thou ſhagge-ear’d Villaine.
c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii], page 145, column 2:
- A vile, wicked person. ▸ An extremely depraved person, or one capable or guilty of great crimes.
- A vile, wicked person. ▸ A deliberate scoundrel.
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(archaic, derogatory) A low-born, abject person.
Note the preſumption of this Scythian ſlaue: I tel thee villaine, thoſe that lead my horſe Haue to their names tytles of dignitie, And dar’ſt thou bluntly cal me Baiazeth?
c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene iii:
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A character who has the role of being bad, especially antagonizing the hero; an antagonist who is also evil or malevolent.
As The Dark Knight Rises brings a close to Christopher Nolan’s staggeringly ambitious Batman trilogy, it’s worth remembering that director chose The Scarecrow as his first villain—not necessarily the most popular among the comic’s gallery of rogues, but the one who set the tone for entire series. […] But in the underground tunnel system, a powerful new villain emerges in Bane (Tom Hardy), a bulked-out mercenary in a gas mask who may look and speak like a professional wrestler, but who carries out a thoroughly considered plan to isolate Gotham and impose his own sadistic vision of government upon it.
2012 July 18, Scott Tobias, “The Dark Knight Rises”, in AV Club, archived from the original on 30 Aug 2012:Miss Phyllis Morgan, as the hapless heroine dressed in the shabbiest of clothes, appears in the midst of a gay and giddy throng; she apostrophises all and sundry there, including the villain, and has a magnificent scene which always brings down the house, and nightly adds to her histrionic laurels.
1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Affair at the Novelty Theatre”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:In some ways, it’s a relief to see tech bros, especially AI entrepreneurs, reach full, unambiguous movie-villain status.
2025 June 2, Adrian Horton, “Tech-bro satire Mountainhead is an insufferable disappointment”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 12 Jun 2025:
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Any opponent player, especially a hypothetical player for example and didactic purposes. Compare: hero (“the current player”).
Let's discuss how to play if you are the chip leader (that is, if you have more chips than all the villains).
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(alt-of, archaic) Archaic form of villein (“feudal tenant, peasant, serf”).
alt of villein
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| villan | alternative, archaic | lexicographic | |
| villains | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
villainhood · villainess · nonvillain · villain of the week · supervillain · subvillain · villainize · villainization · chillin' like a villain · villainy · James Bond villain · villainise · villaindom · archvillain · Bond villain · outvillain · villainsplain · ultravillain · anti-villain · pantomime villain · villainly · villainry · villainism
Descendants
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
deceiver · chav · criminal · brigand · supervillain · anti-villain · betrayer · troublemaker · villainess
Relateds
agent · evil · villein · agonist · protagonist · bad · jerk · antagonist · villainy · badness
Synonyms
miscreant · antimodel · knave · cad · scab · beggar · scoundrel · thug · lidderon · cockatrice · evildoer · fustilarian · ne'er-do-well · baddie · heavy · scumbag · bounder · blackguard · undesirable · nithing · scamp · antagonist · varlet · bad guy · makeshift · villain · niding · rapscallion · harlot · scapegrace · bastard · scum · rogue · coistril · rascal
Translations (224)
hu gonosztevő (bad person in a stage or screen play) · cmn 壞蛋 /坏蛋 (scoundrel) · it criminale (scoundrel) · sw mhalifu (bad person in a stage or screen play) · sv skurk (bad person in a stage or screen play) · eo kanajlo (scoundrel) · it farabutto (scoundrel) · et lurjus (scoundrel) · mr खलनायक (bad person in a stage or screen play) · sv bov (bad person in a stage or screen play) · de Schurke (bad person in a stage or screen play) · cs lump (scoundrel) · dng хулюҗин (scoundrel) · tr cani (scoundrel) · pt salafrário (scoundrel) · ru мерза́вец (scoundrel) · fr paysan (a peasant free of serfdom) · pl złoczyńca (scoundrel) · da skurk (bad person in a stage or screen play) · ka არამზადა (scoundrel) · he נָבָל (bad person in a stage or screen play) · he נָבָל (scoundrel) · uk лиході́й (bad person in a stage or screen play) · hi खलनायक (bad person in a stage or screen play) · pt vilão (scoundrel) · mww phem (bad person in a stage or screen play) · eo abomenulo (scoundrel) · hy սրիկա (scoundrel) · ru негодя́й (scoundrel) · ga bithiúnach (bad person in a stage or screen play) · it mascalzone (scoundrel) · cs padouch (scoundrel) · fa بدذات (bad person in a stage or screen play) · ka ვასალი (a peasant free of serfdom) · bg злоде́й (bad person in a stage or screen play) · cs darebák (scoundrel) · la scelesta (scoundrel) · mk никаквец (scoundrel) · es villano (bad person in a stage or screen play) · cmn 坏家伙 (scoundrel) · fi kelmi (scoundrel) · ak bɔnefoɔ (scoundrel) · io kriminanto (scoundrel) · mk злобник (scoundrel) · be ліхадзе́й (bad person in a stage or screen play) · fa شریر (scoundrel) · kk жауыз (bad person in a stage or screen play) · it canaglia (scoundrel) · pt vilão (a peasant free of serfdom) · gl vilán (scoundrel) · ru злоде́й (scoundrel) · cmn 無籟 /无籁 (scoundrel) · tr kötü adam (scoundrel) · af skurk (scoundrel) · nv ájígaléidii (bad person in a stage or screen play) · et kaabakas (scoundrel) · nl slechterik (scoundrel) · nl slechterik (bad person in a stage or screen play) · mk негати́вец (bad person in a stage or screen play) · cmn 混混兒 /混混儿 (scoundrel) · ru злоде́й (bad person in a stage or screen play) · sk zloduch (scoundrel) · tg ҷинояткор (scoundrel) · ta வில்லன் (bad person in a stage or screen play) · be злачы́нец (scoundrel) · fi konna (bad person in a stage or screen play) · it vassallo (a peasant free of serfdom) · sk zlosyn (scoundrel) · ms penjahat (bad person in a stage or screen play) · ga bithiúnach (scoundrel) · sq horr (scoundrel) · fi roisto (scoundrel) · sh zlȍbnīk (scoundrel) · ro spirit rău (bad person in a stage or screen play) · cmn 壞人 /坏人 (scoundrel) · ro vecin (a peasant free of serfdom) · fa جنایتکار (scoundrel) · sk lotor (scoundrel) · az rəzil (scoundrel) · sh negatívac (bad person in a stage or screen play) · pt patife (scoundrel) · kk сұм (scoundrel) · ro mișel (scoundrel) · la scelerātus (bad person in a stage or screen play) · enm sot (scoundrel) · it scellerato (scoundrel) · ia scelerato (scoundrel) · te విలన్ (scoundrel) · ml ചതിയൻ (bad person in a stage or screen play) · or ଭିଲେନ୍ (scoundrel) · tr zalim (scoundrel) · gl vilán (a peasant free of serfdom) · ka ბოროტმოქმედი (bad person in a stage or screen play) · pl złoczyńca (bad person in a stage or screen play) · ca vilà (bad person in a stage or screen play) · ml കുറുക്കൻ (bad person in a stage or screen play) · ml കുറുക്കൻ (scoundrel) · cmn 奸角 (bad person in a stage or screen play) · fi konna (scoundrel) · th ผู้ร้าย (scoundrel) · ts muxanisi (scoundrel) · vi kẻ tàn ác (scoundrel) · sh негати́вац (bad person in a stage or screen play) · de Gauner (scoundrel) · fi roisto (bad person in a stage or screen play) · ko 악당 (scoundrel) · ro ticălos (scoundrel) · fa مجرم (scoundrel) · pt vilão (bad person in a stage or screen play) · ko 악인 (scoundrel) · uk злочи́нець (scoundrel) · pl złol (bad person in a stage or screen play) · hu gonosz (bad person in a stage or screen play) · dng хулюҗин (bad person in a stage or screen play) · fr vilain (a peasant free of serfdom) · hy չարագործ (bad person in a stage or screen play) · kk жауыз (scoundrel) · ro șerb (a peasant free of serfdom) · de (fam) Oberböse (bad person in a stage or screen play) · la scelestus (scoundrel) · kn ಪೋಕರಿ (scoundrel) · ru лиходе́й (scoundrel) · de Bösewicht (bad person in a stage or screen play) · ru васса́л (a peasant free of serfdom) · cy ragat (scoundrel) · gl vilán (bad person in a stage or screen play) · cmn 惡棍 /恶棍 (scoundrel) · cs lotr (scoundrel) · kn ಪೋಕ (bad person in a stage or screen play) · kk дұшпан (scoundrel) · kn ಹೋಕ (bad person in a stage or screen play) · ro iobag (a peasant free of serfdom) · mk никаквец (bad person in a stage or screen play) · it il cattivo (bad person in a stage or screen play) · th วายร้าย (scoundrel) · pl czarny charakter (bad person in a stage or screen play) · az cani (scoundrel) · fa رذل (scoundrel) · da slyngel (scoundrel) · cs záporný hrdina (bad person in a stage or screen play) · sv bov (scoundrel) · io kanalio (scoundrel) · fr scélérat (scoundrel) · ko 악한 (scoundrel) · be ліхадзе́й (scoundrel) · ja 悪党 (scoundrel) · bg злоде́й (scoundrel) · fi ilkimys (scoundrel) · el παλιάνθρωπος (scoundrel) · it furfante (scoundrel) · es villano (scoundrel) · fi pahis (bad person in a stage or screen play) · de Halunke (scoundrel) · pl łajdak (scoundrel) · ka ბოროტმოქმედი (scoundrel) · sk lump (scoundrel) · ta வில்லன் (scoundrel) · hi खलनायक (scoundrel) · ky шумпай (scoundrel) · kn ಪೋಕರಿ (bad person in a stage or screen play) · ky шум (scoundrel) · sv skurk (scoundrel) · ko 악역 (bad person in a stage or screen play) · cs ničema (scoundrel) · ar شِرِّير (bad person in a stage or screen play) · sh зло̏бнӣк (scoundrel) · lo ຄົນຮ້າຍ (scoundrel) · id penjahat (scoundrel) · ja 悪人 (scoundrel) · pl łotr (scoundrel) · fa شرور (scoundrel) · uk лиході́й (scoundrel) · ro viclean (bad person in a stage or screen play) · tr hain (scoundrel) · it servo feudale (a peasant free of serfdom) · cmn 反派 (bad person in a stage or screen play) · kn ಪೋಕ (scoundrel) · la persona negativa (bad person in a stage or screen play) · el κάθαρμα (scoundrel) · vi nhân vật phản diện (bad person in a stage or screen play) · cmn 流氓 (scoundrel) · nb skurk (scoundrel) · bg подле́ц (scoundrel) · ml വഞ്ചകൻ (bad person in a stage or screen play) · uz jinoyatchi (scoundrel) · tg шарир (scoundrel) · ru подле́ц (scoundrel) · ja 悪漢 (scoundrel) · ml ചതിയൻ (scoundrel) · cmn 惡棍角色 /恶棍角色 (bad person in a stage or screen play) · cmn 渾蛋 /浑蛋 (scoundrel) · lv nelietis (scoundrel) · ml വഞ്ചകൻ (scoundrel) · ar شِرِّير (scoundrel) · sl zlobnež (scoundrel) · fr méchant (bad person in a stage or screen play) · cs zlosyn (scoundrel) · ja 悪役 (bad person in a stage or screen play) · hu gazember (scoundrel) · de Schurke (scoundrel) · sl negativec (bad person in a stage or screen play) · nl schurk (scoundrel) · nv ájígaléidii (scoundrel) · la carnifex (bad person in a stage or screen play) · ru отрица́тельный геро́й (bad person in a stage or screen play) · mi whiro (scoundrel) · da skurk (scoundrel) · kk залым (scoundrel) · lt piktadarys (scoundrel) · ko 악당 (bad person in a stage or screen play) · af skurk (bad person in a stage or screen play) · ml വഞ്ചകൻ (a peasant free of serfdom) · kn ಹೋಕ (scoundrel) · sw mhalifu (scoundrel) · bg него́дник (scoundrel) · fi lurjus (scoundrel) · el κακός (bad person in a stage or screen play) · mww neeg phem (bad person in a stage or screen play) · sl hudobnež (scoundrel) · io kriminero (scoundrel) · fa رعیت (a peasant free of serfdom) · mk злобник (bad person in a stage or screen play) · ms penjahat (scoundrel) · ro răufăcător (bad person in a stage or screen play)
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