villainess

noun

vil·​lain·​ess ˈvi-lə-nəs How to pronounce villainess (audio)
Synonyms of villainessnext
: a woman who is a villain

Examples of villainess in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After all, what would the Bond film franchise be without love interests, sidekicks and, of course, villainesses? — John Russell, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026 The show isn’t necessarily doing anything wildly off book — there are at least three other series about being reincarnated as the villainess in a fantasy story and failing at it. — Kambole Campbell, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025 Konoha Satou’s dark fictional past becomes her reality when she’s reincarnated as Iana Magnolia, the villainess of her own adolescent fantasy. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025 The drama stars Lim Ji-yeon as a dual-souled heroine, a struggling modern actress whose body is suddenly occupied by Kang Dan-shim, a cunning villainess from the Joseon era who fought her way to power. — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for villainess

Word History

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of villainess was in 1586

Rhymes for villainess

See All Rhymes for villainess

Browse Nearby Words

villainage
villainess
villainize
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Villainess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/villainess. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

villainess

noun
vil·​lain·​ess ˈvil-ə-nəs How to pronounce villainess (audio)
: a woman who is a villain

More from Merriam-Webster on villainess

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for villainess

Nglish: Translation of villainess for Spanish Speakers

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