villain

villain — noun

1. someone whose character is evil and who intentionally inflicts suffering or trou

1.nounB1
Definition

someone whose character is evil and who intentionally inflicts suffering or trouble on other people

Example

The villagers finally caught the villain who had been stealing their livestock at night.

catch the villain

Adina's grandmother always said that greed turns ordinary people into villains.

ordinary people into villains

Common collocations
  • cold-hearted villain
  • dangerous villain
  • call someone a villain
  • portray as a villain
Synonyms
  • wrongdoer

    more formal and general; does not always imply evil intent

  • scoundrel

    old-fashioned or literary; suggests dishonesty rather than violence

  • malefactor

    very formal or legal; rare in everyday speech

Antonyms
  • hero

    a person admired for courage or noble qualities

  • saint

    a very good, kind, and patient person

Usage Note

This is the broadest sense of 'villain' and can describe anyone from a playground bully to a violent criminal.

Common Mistakes

The villain of the story was a kind woman.
The villain of the story was a cruel woman.
A villain, by definition, is bad or evil, not kind.
He called me a villain because I accidentally broke his cup.
He called me a villain because I deliberately hid his bag.
'Villain' implies intent to harm, not an accident.

2. a person who has committed a serious crime or illegal act, especially when seen

2.nounB1
Definition

a person who has committed a serious crime or illegal act, especially when seen as dangerous

Example

The police are searching for the villains responsible for the bank robbery.

plural: the villains responsible for

Jiwoo read about a famous villain who escaped from prison and was never caught.

Common collocations
  • dangerous villain
  • escaped villain
  • known villain
  • wanted villain
Synonyms
  • criminal

    neutral, formal term — the standard word in legal and news contexts

  • outlaw

    old-fashioned; suggests a fugitive living outside society

  • felon

    technical legal term for someone guilty of a serious crime

Antonyms

Usage Note

This sense is less formal than 'criminal' and is often used in news headlines or casual speech to describe someone who has committed a serious offence.

Common Mistakes

The villain who stole my wallet was only 12 years old.
The boy who stole my wallet was only 12 years old.
'Villain' sounds too dramatic for a minor theft by a child.

3. a fictional figure found in books, films, or plays whose evil actions put them i

3.nounA2
Definition

a fictional figure found in books, films, or plays whose evil actions put them in conflict with the leading good character

Example

The movie's villain wore a black mask and spoke in a deep, frightening voice.

typical attributes of a story villain

Christopher prefers stories where the villain has a sad past that explains their cruelty.

Common collocations
  • main villain
  • movie villain
  • cartoon villain
  • defeat the villain
  • iconic villain
Synonyms
  • antagonist

    formal literary term; the character who opposes the protagonist

  • bad guy

    informal; common in children's media and everyday speech

  • enemy

    more general; can refer to real people or groups, not just fictional characters

Antonyms
  • hero

    the main good character in a story

  • protagonist

    the leading character, who is usually but not always good

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (EVIL PERSON): sense 3 always refers to a fictional character, not a real person. A well-written villain is often called 'compelling' or 'memorable'.

4. a person, group, or thing that people regard as a dangerous threat or the main c

4.nounB2
Definition

a person, group, or thing that people regard as a dangerous threat or the main cause of harm in a particular situation

Example

Many people now see plastic waste as the biggest environmental villain of our time.

figurative: the villain of our time

Theo blamed processed sugar as the villain behind his family's health problems.

the villain behind [problem]

Common collocations
  • real villain
  • environmental villain
  • portray as the villain
  • the villain behind
Synonyms
  • threat

    neutral term; something that may cause harm, without the moral judgment

  • menace

    stronger than 'threat'; something dangerous and frightening

  • culprit

    the cause of a problem, often used playfully in health contexts

Antonyms
  • saviour

    a person or thing that rescues or protects from harm

  • solution

    a way to fix a problem

Grammar Patterns

the villain of [something]

Usage Note

Used figuratively, often in debates, journalism, or discussions about social issues. The 'villain' here is rarely a single person — it is more often a substance, technology, or system.

Common Mistakes

The sugar in my coffee is the villain of my diet.
I see processed sugar as the villain of my diet.
The 'villain' in this sense is something you strongly believe causes harm, not a minor ingredient you could easily remove.

5. someone or something that receives the blame for every difficulty in a given sit

5.nounB2
Definition

someone or something that receives the blame for every difficulty in a given situation, regardless of actual responsibility

Example

When the project failed, Saira's boss looked for a villain instead of finding real solutions.

look for a villain

The real villain of the match was the terrible weather, not the losing team.

the real villain of [situation]

Common collocations
  • real villain
  • the villain of the piece
  • find a villain
  • blame a villain
Synonyms
  • scapegoat

    someone unfairly blamed for the mistakes of others; stronger implication of unfairness

  • culprit

    someone truly responsible; highlights guilt rather than blame

Grammar Patterns

the villain of [something]

Usage Note

Often appears in the fixed phrase 'the villain of the piece', which is used both seriously and humorously. The blame may be unfair or exaggerated.

Common Mistakes

I am the villain of my own story.
I often feel like the villain of the piece when things go wrong at home.
The phrase 'villain of the piece' is the conventional expression; 'villain of the story' can work but is less idiomatic in this sense.
Idioms

the villain of the piece

idiom

The person or thing that causes all the problems in a particular situation.

In the company's failure, the CEO was the villain of the piece.

Who is the villain of the piece in this messy divorce?

Word family

  • villainous
    adjectiveC1
  • villainy
    nounC1
  • villainess
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all three words describe someone who does bad things, they differ in tone and scope. 'Wrongdoer' is the most neutral and general — it can describe anyone who breaks a rule or law, from a child who tells a lie to a corporation that pollutes a river. 'Scoundrel' has a literary, old-fashioned flavour and suggests a dishonest or untrustworthy person who tricks others for personal gain, rather than someone physically violent. 'Malefactor' is a very formal, even archaic word found mostly in legal or historical writing; it is rarely used in everyday conversation. For example, a news article might call a fraudster a 'financial wrongdoer,' a classic novel might name a cheating nobleman a 'scoundrel,' and a history textbook might refer to 'malefactors' in ancient Rome. For most everyday situations, 'villain' or 'wrongdoer' is the safest choice.

wrongdoerscoundrelmalefactor

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'villain' comes from Old French 'vilain', meaning a farm worker or peasant who was not free. In medieval times, rich nobles often looked down on peasant workers and assumed they were dishonest or badly behaved. Over time, the word shifted from meaning 'low-born person' to 'someone with low moral character', and eventually to 'a deliberate evil-doer'. The connection between social class and moral judgment is still visible when we trace the word back to Latin 'villa' (a country house or farm).