DictionaryAI

villain

VIL-uhn/ˈvɪl.ən/

Pluralvillains

6 meanings of villain

Practice

  1. 1
    in a storynouncountable
    The bad character in a story or movie who works against the hero.

    The villain in the movie wanted to take over the world.

    Every superhero needs a good villain to fight.

    Similarantagonist

    Oppositehero, protagonist

    Note
  2. 2
    nouncountable
    A bad person who does wrong or hurts others on purpose, sometimes by committing terrible crimes.

    Only a villain would steal money from a children's hospital.

    She knew he was a villain when he cheated at cards and then smiled about it.

    Similarscoundrel, rogue, crook, wrongdoer, criminal

  3. 3
    peasantnounarchaic
    Archaic form of villein: in the Middle Ages, a farm worker tied to a lord's land.
    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 4
    class insultnounderogatoryarchaic
    A person of low birth, treated as worthless.
    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, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. The First PartHere, villaine means a low-born, worthless person.
    Note
  2. 5
    noun
    In poker, any other player at the table, especially an imagined one in a lesson.
  3. 6
    verbobsolete
    To make something lower or worse in value or honor.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of villain apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

Probably from Old French vilein, from Latin vīllānus, a peasant who worked on a country estate (a villa).

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts