villainy

noun

ˈvi-lə-nē How to pronounce villainy (audio)
Definition of villainynext
as in evil
that which is morally unacceptable psychologists and sociologists have tried to discover the roots of such unspeakable villainy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 villainy While Embo didn’t have much screen time, he can be glimpsed among the scum and villainy in a handful of episodes including Season 2 Episode 17, Season 5 Episode 14 and Season 6 Episode 5. — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026 Eidinger brings sorely needed spark to these miserable proceedings; his profile of sociopathic villainy is, unfortunately or not, the most electric aspect of the film. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026 But with a sequel to dissect and an audience primed for this kind of analysis, the larger conversation around villainy is worth reviving. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2026 Zahida and Rubina snickered, with a villainy that bordered on hysterical. — Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for villainy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villainy
  1. evil
  2. bad
  3. badness
Noun
  • Because God is omnipotent, evil, the opposite of God, is unreal, a mistaken sense of reality.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Witty, bitter, flamboyant, and emotionally grounded, the dialogue swings, delightfully, between intimate exchanges and grandiloquent soliloquies, capturing the vulnerability of idealists in the face of evil.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of evil
Noun
  • In addition to public goods, AI will also create public bads.
    — James Broughel, Forbes.com, 8 June 2026
  • Naturally, the meeting is a flop because no one was prepared, and their spontaneous ideas are frankly fireable-offense bad (a baguette bag shaped like a baguette for Paris?
    — Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
Definition of bad
Noun
  • But, as part of a meticulous reconstruction of a type of eatery known for mediocre food, does its badness actually count as a mark of success?
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Leaping around in time, Gilroy draws us into Alex’s world with an effervescent wink at the badness of his behavior.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of badness

Browse Nearby Words

villains
villainy
villanelle
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of reticent

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All