villainous

adjective

ˈvi-lə-nəs How to pronounce villainous (audio)
Definition of villainousnext
Enter your own sentence containing villainous , and get words to replace it.
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as in evil
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable villainous behavior that made him one of the most notorious figures in history and gave rise to the legend of Dracula

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective villainous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of villainous are corrupt, degenerate, iniquitous, nefarious, and vicious. While all these words mean "highly reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct," villainous applies to any evil, depraved, or vile conduct or characteristic.

a villainous assault

When is corrupt a more appropriate choice than villainous?

While the synonyms corrupt and villainous are close in meaning, corrupt stresses a loss of moral integrity or probity causing betrayal of principle or sworn obligations.

city hall was rife with corrupt politicians

When is it sensible to use degenerate instead of villainous?

The synonyms degenerate and villainous are sometimes interchangeable, but degenerate suggests having sunk to an especially vicious or enervated condition.

a degenerate regime propped up by foreign powers

When might iniquitous be a better fit than villainous?

The words iniquitous and villainous can be used in similar contexts, but iniquitous implies absence of all signs of justice or fairness.

an iniquitous system of taxation

In what contexts can nefarious take the place of villainous?

The words nefarious and villainous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, nefarious suggests flagrant breaching of time-honored laws and traditions of conduct.

the nefarious rackets of organized crime

Where would vicious be a reasonable alternative to villainous?

Although the words vicious and villainous have much in common, vicious may directly oppose virtuous in implying moral depravity, or may connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive violence.

a vicious gangster

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 villainous One such force is the villainous cartoon Mr. Ring-a-Ding (voiced by Alan Cumming), who is shown breaking out of a movie theater screen to terrorize a 1950s audience. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025 With his versatile range, Hackman took on famous roles, from tough guy parts to villainous characters, heroes and even a coach. — Stephanie Giang-Paunon, Fox News, 1 Mar. 2025 Quentin Tarantino's ultraviolent World War II fantasy gave the Austrian-German actor his villainous breakout role as Hans Landa, a Nazi baddie with an upper-crust cultural side. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025 But with a handful of exceptions, the latter part of his career seemed to be a series of military men, villainous government officials and lawyers. — Todd Leopold, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for villainous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for villainous
  1. evil
  2. immoral
  3. unlawful
  4. sinful
  5. vicious
  6. vile
  7. wicked
  8. dark
Adjective
  • Ben Stiller even makes a brief cameo as the evil nursing home orderly, Hal.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 18 Mar. 2025
  • The children were not killed by an Israeli rocket attack, as Hamas claimed, but brutally murdered by evil terrorists.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of evil
Adjective
  • The campaign materials were unequivocal: Worley believed LGBT influences in society were immoral.
    — Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025
  • And so Rose, immortal on the field, with a bat, was judged immoral off it by the saints who guard baseball’s gate.
    — Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2025
Definition of immoral
Adjective
  • Legal experts say the moves are likely unlawful, workers complain they were sloppily handled, and the whole process runs the risk of doing long-term damage to critical workings of the federal government.
    — Emily Peck, Axios, 12 Mar. 2025
  • The aim is to explore ways to build more confidence and more transparency on our nuclear energy program in return for the lifting of unlawful sanctions.
    — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of unlawful
Adjective
  • Michelle Yeoh Yeoh may be in her villain era, but there's nothing sinful about her Louvre look.
    — Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
  • The dominant Christian theology of the Middle Ages held that wealth was inherently sinful in a world where most people toiled in terrible poverty.
    — Brian Klaas, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025
Definition of sinful
Adjective
  • At age 55, the director of the vicious South Korean social satire Parasite specializes in adolescent appeal.
    — Armond White, National Review, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Ferran’s Blanche puts up a vicious fight, but Mescal’s Stanley relishes the roughhousing.
    — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • The Oakland Jewish Alliance, a grassroots organization formed in the wake of these vile acts, has reported over 400 incidents of antisemitic graffiti around the Lake Merritt/Lakeshore neighborhoods in a one-year period.
    — Mark Cohen, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Charlie Kirk is a vile bigot, and standing with him on this issue is profoundly disturbing.
    — Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of vile
Adjective
  • The two swap places to reunite their divorced parents while also attempting to derail Annie’s dad's engagement to his soon-to-be wicked fiancee, Meredith.
    — Kara Nesvig, Parents, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Linebacker Dre Greenlaw, formerly of San Francisco, is one of those wicked sideline-to-sideline hammers with coverage skills, assuming his Achilles is right.
    — Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of wicked
Adjective
  • While it’s been nearly a decade since Markle was seen on the small screen, Rachel and her wardrobe remain as relevant as ever—especially with dark academia trending in fashion.
    — Robyn Merrett, StyleCaster, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Boat Rocker’s slate currently comprises the likes of 1980s throwback dark comedy Video Nasty, drama series Mix Tape and Jesse Moss and Tony Gerber’s Sundance 2024 doc War Game.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of dark

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Cite this Entry

“Villainous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/villainous. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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