VILLAINS Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

villains

noun

plural of villain

as in brutes

a mean, evil, or unprincipled person only a heartless villain would kidnap a baby for ransom

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of villains Directed by Grammy Award-winning filmmaker James Mackel, the visual is three-and-a-half minutes of spy stuff, our hero, dressed to impress, making short work of the many villains who lurk in her hotel. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2026 One of Batman’s creepiest villains is descending upon the box office this weekend. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026 Matt might be beautiful on the surface again, but the vengeance in his heart and his newfound ability to shapeshift lead him down a tragic path towards becoming one of Gotham’s fiercest villains. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026 Many have been painting data centers, rather than fossil fuel producers, as villains. — Geoffrey Henderson, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2026 Keery’s charming delivery of several truth-telling speeches proves that villains don’t get all the juicy, crowd-pleasing moments. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 Oct. 2026 Rival fans were quick to jump all over this fact, given that both the Panthers and the Tkachuk brothers were seen as polarizing villains throughout the NHL. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026 There are no villains or scary scenes in this gentle story about a young witch finding her way in the world. — Anna Earl, Parents, 15 Oct. 2026 All your favorite Disney villains are there, from Aladdin’s nemesis, Jafar, to Sea Witch Ursula, the evil lion Scar, Dalmatian fur-loving Cruella, and the woman who gave stepmothers a bad name, Maleficent. — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for villains

Noun

These brutes commonly exceed 50 pounds.

— Keith Sutton, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026
In Raspail’s tale, hordes of impoverished and dark-skinned brutes from India descend onto French shores by way of rafts, the first wave of an invasion of the civilized West by the brown-skinned developing world.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026

Definition of brutes

Noun

Set on a mysterious island ravaged by floods and warring armies, a masked boy and girl must traverse atmospheric environments, rescue friends, and confront nightmarish monsters.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026
Wētā is famous for its monsters and sci-fi creatures, so making a romantic lead gave the creatives a unique challenge.

— Emily Maskell, IndieWire, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of monsters

Noun

Also protect the email account associated with your Social Security profile because criminals may target it to reset other passwords.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Ford placed the inmate’s bid for clemency on the agenda of the state pardons board — an example, Lombardo claims, of the way Ford treats criminals.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of criminals

Noun

His lacerating wit spares no member of his staff—a mix of true incompetents, off-putting savants, ticking time bombs, and onetime offenders prematurely consigned to professional purgatory.

— Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
Penalties increase if offenders cover their faces or someone is injured.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of offenders

Noun

Among the English-speaking settlers, the events at Lake George would be remembered as a massacre, and the Indigenous people whose home this was, whose conventions of war did not match those of the European empires, were called savages.

— James Whorton Jr, Longreads, 13 Oct. 2026
And potentially discover treasure that will keep the savages at home from tearing the place down.

— Barry Collins, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Definition of savages

Noun

The father pulls over, and the car is immediately swarmed over by bandits, who brutally kill him — plus his wife and two kids — with no mercy.

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026
In the decade of violent conflicts that followed, attacks on border towns and seizures of American property by revolutionaries and bandits prompted the United States to send two military expeditions into Mexico.

— Robert B. Zoellick, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of bandits

Noun

But as with any good Leonard story, the best moments come from the characters, a rogues’ gallery of violent ruffians and neurotic, duplicitous scoundrels.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
Players command Hawks, a former Republic officer, leading a customizable squad of diverse archetypes, including Jedi and scoundrels.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of scoundrels

Browse Nearby Words

villainousness

villains

villainy

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“Villains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villains. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of villains

noun

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