noun
Meaning 1
A vile, wicked person.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
villain
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
-
/ˈvɪl.ən/
-
dialectal: /ˈvɪl.jən/
-
US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
-
rhymes with -ɪlən
-
homophone: villein
-
CMU ARPABET: V IH1 L AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A vile, wicked person.
An extremely depraved person, or one capable or guilty of great crimes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A vile, wicked person.
A deliberate scoundrel.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A low-born, abject person.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, derogatory
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
A character who has the role of being bad, especially antagonizing the hero; an antagonist who is also evil or malevolent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: fiction, literature, media, publishing
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: antagonist
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
Any opponent player, especially a hypothetical player for example and didactic purposes. Compare: hero (“the current player”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: card-games, poker
Examples
- Let's discuss how to play if you are the chip leader (that is, if you have more chips than all the villains).
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
Archaic form of villein (“feudal tenant, peasant, serf”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 8
To debase; to degrade .
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
a wicked or evil person; someone who does evil deliberately
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: scoundrel
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: unwelcome person, persona non grata
Narrower terms: cad, bounder, blackguard, dog, hound, heel, gallows bird, rogue, knave, rascal, rapscallion, scalawag, scallywag, varlet, villainess
noun
Meaning 10
the principal bad character in a film or work of fiction
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: baddie
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: character, role, theatrical role, part, persona
History
Etymology
Probably from Middle English vilein, from Old French vilein (modern French vilain), in turn from Late Latin vīllānus, meaning serf or peasant, someone who is bound to the soil of a Latin vīlla, which is to say, worked on the equivalent of a plantation in late Antiquity, in Italy or Gaul. Doublet of villein. Compare typologically pagan (see more).
Across languages
Translations
224 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Afrikaans: skurk — scoundrel
- Akan: bɔnefoɔ — scoundrel
- Albanian: horr — scoundrel
- Arabic: شِرِّير (širrīr) — scoundrel
- Armenian: սրիկա (srika) — scoundrel
- Azerbaijani: cani — scoundrel
- Azerbaijani: rəzil — scoundrel
- Belarusian: ліхадзе́й (lixadzjéj) — scoundrel
- Belarusian: злачы́нец (zlačýnjec) — scoundrel
- Bulgarian: злоде́й (zlodéj) — scoundrel
- Bulgarian: подле́ц (podléc) — scoundrel
- Bulgarian: него́дник (negódnik) — scoundrel
- Chinese: хулюҗин (huliujin) — scoundrel
- Chinese Mandarin: 惡棍 /恶棍 (ègùn) — scoundrel
- Chinese Mandarin: 坏家伙 (huàijiāhuo) — scoundrel
- Chinese Mandarin: 混混兒 /混混儿 (hùnhùnr) — scoundrel
- Chinese Mandarin: 壞蛋 /坏蛋 (huàidàn) — scoundrel
- Chinese Mandarin: 無籟 /无籁 (wúlài) — scoundrel
- Chinese Mandarin: 渾蛋 /浑蛋 (húndàn) — scoundrel
- Chinese Mandarin: 流氓 (liúmáng) — scoundrel
- Chinese Mandarin: 壞人 /坏人 (huàirén) — scoundrel
- Czech: padouch — scoundrel
- Czech: darebák — scoundrel
- Czech: lump — scoundrel
- Czech: lotr — scoundrel
- Czech: zlosyn — scoundrel
- Czech: ničema — scoundrel
- Danish: skurk — scoundrel
- Danish: slyngel — scoundrel
- Dutch: schurk — scoundrel
- Dutch: slechterik — scoundrel
- Esperanto: abomenulo — scoundrel
- Esperanto: kanajlo — scoundrel
- Estonian: kaabakas — scoundrel
- Estonian: lurjus — scoundrel
- Finnish: roisto — scoundrel
- Finnish: konna — scoundrel
- Finnish: lurjus — scoundrel
- Finnish: kelmi — scoundrel
- Finnish: ilkimys — scoundrel
- French: scélérat — scoundrel
- Galician: vilán — scoundrel
- Georgian: ბოროტმოქმედი (boroṭmokmedi) — scoundrel
- Georgian: არამზადა (aramzada) — scoundrel
- German: Schurke — scoundrel
- German: Gauner — scoundrel
- German: Halunke — scoundrel
- Greek: παλιάνθρωπος (paliánthropos) — scoundrel
- Greek: κάθαρμα (kátharma) — scoundrel
- Hebrew: נָבָל (navál) — scoundrel
- Hindi: खलनायक (khalnāyak) — scoundrel
- Hungarian: gazember — scoundrel
- Ido: kriminanto — scoundrel
- Ido: kriminero — scoundrel
- Ido: kanalio — scoundrel
- Indonesian: penjahat — scoundrel
- Interlingua: scelerato — scoundrel
- Irish: bithiúnach — scoundrel
- Italian: canaglia — scoundrel
- Italian: furfante — scoundrel
- Italian: mascalzone — scoundrel
- Italian: farabutto — scoundrel
- Italian: criminale — scoundrel
- Italian: scellerato — scoundrel
- Japanese: 悪人 (akunin) — scoundrel
- Japanese: 悪党 (akutō) — scoundrel
- Japanese: 悪漢 (akkan) — scoundrel
- Kannada: ಪೋಕ (pōka) — scoundrel
- Kannada: ಹೋಕ (hōka) — scoundrel
- Kannada: ಪೋಕರಿ (pōkari) — scoundrel
- Kazakh: жауыз (jauyz) — scoundrel
- Kazakh: дұшпан (dūşpan) — scoundrel
- Kazakh: залым (zalym) — scoundrel
- Kazakh: сұм (sūm) — scoundrel
- Korean: 악인 (agin) — scoundrel
- Korean: 악당 (akdang) — scoundrel
- Korean: 악한 (akhan) — scoundrel
- Kyrgyz: шум (şum) — scoundrel
- Kyrgyz: шумпай (şumpay) — scoundrel
- Lao: ຄົນຮ້າຍ (khonhai) — scoundrel
- Latin: scelestus — scoundrel
- Latin: scelesta — scoundrel
- Latvian: nelietis — scoundrel
- Lithuanian: piktadarys — scoundrel
- Macedonian: никаквец (nikakvec) — scoundrel
- Macedonian: злобник (zlobnik) — scoundrel
- Malay: penjahat — scoundrel
- Malayalam: വഞ്ചകൻ (vañcakaṉ) — scoundrel
- Malayalam: ചതിയൻ (catiyaṉ) — scoundrel
- Malayalam: കുറുക്കൻ (kuṟukkaṉ) — scoundrel
- Māori: whiro — scoundrel
- Middle English: sot — scoundrel
- Navajo: ájígaléidii — scoundrel
- Norwegian Bokmål: skurk — scoundrel
- Odia: ଭିଲେନ୍ (bhilen) — scoundrel
- Persian: شریر (šarir) — scoundrel
- Persian: شرور (šorur) — scoundrel
- Persian: رذل (razl) — scoundrel
- Persian: جنایتکار (jenâyatkâr) — scoundrel
- Persian: مجرم (mojrem) — scoundrel
- Polish: łotr — scoundrel
- Polish: łajdak — scoundrel
- Polish: złoczyńca — scoundrel
- Portuguese: vilão — scoundrel
- Portuguese: salafrário — scoundrel
- Portuguese: patife — scoundrel
- Romanian: mișel — scoundrel
- Romanian: ticălos — scoundrel
- Russian: злоде́й (zlodéj) — scoundrel
- Russian: негодя́й (negodjáj) — scoundrel
- Russian: мерза́вец (merzávec) — scoundrel
- Russian: подле́ц (podléc) — scoundrel
- Russian: лиходе́й (lixodéj) — scoundrel
- Serbo-Croatian: зло̏бнӣк — scoundrel
- Serbo-Croatian: zlȍbnīk — scoundrel
- Slovak: zloduch — scoundrel
- Slovak: lump — scoundrel
- Slovak: lotor — scoundrel
- Slovak: zlosyn — scoundrel
- Slovene: hudobnež — scoundrel
- Slovene: zlobnež — scoundrel
- Spanish: villano — scoundrel
- Swahili: mhalifu — scoundrel
- Swedish: skurk — scoundrel
- Swedish: bov — scoundrel
- Tajik: ҷинояткор (jinoyatkor) — scoundrel
- Tajik: шарир (šarir) — scoundrel
- Tamil: வில்லன் (villaṉ) — scoundrel
- Telugu: విలన్ (vilan) — scoundrel
- Thai: ผู้ร้าย (pûu-ráai) — scoundrel
- Thai: วายร้าย (waai-ráai) — scoundrel
- Tsonga: muxanisi — scoundrel
- Turkish: cani — scoundrel
- Turkish: kötü adam — scoundrel
- Turkish: hain — scoundrel
- Turkish: zalim — scoundrel
- Ukrainian: лиході́й (lyxodíj) — scoundrel
- Ukrainian: злочи́нець (zločýnecʹ) — scoundrel
- Uzbek: jinoyatchi — scoundrel
- Vietnamese: kẻ tàn ác — scoundrel
- Welsh: ragat — scoundrel
- Afrikaans: skurk — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Arabic: شِرِّير (širrīr) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Armenian: չարագործ (čʻaragorc) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Belarusian: ліхадзе́й (lixadzjéj) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Bulgarian: злоде́й (zlodéj) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Catalan: vilà — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Chinese: хулюҗин (huliujin) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Chinese Mandarin: 惡棍角色 /恶棍角色 (ègùn juésè) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Chinese Mandarin: 奸角 (jiānjiǎo) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Chinese Mandarin: 反派 (fǎnpài) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Czech: záporný hrdina — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Danish: skurk — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Dutch: slechterik — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Finnish: konna — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Finnish: roisto — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Finnish: pahis — bad person in a stage or screen play
- French: méchant — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Galician: vilán — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Georgian: ბოროტმოქმედი (boroṭmokmedi) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- German: Bösewicht — bad person in a stage or screen play
- German: (fam) Oberböse — bad person in a stage or screen play
- German: Schurke — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Greek: κακός (kakós) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Hebrew: נָבָל (navál) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Hindi: खलनायक (khalnāyak) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- White Hmong: neeg phem — bad person in a stage or screen play
- White Hmong: phem — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Hungarian: gonosz — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Hungarian: gonosztevő — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Irish: bithiúnach — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Italian: il cattivo — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Japanese: 悪役 (akuyaku) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Kannada: ಪೋಕ (pōka) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Kannada: ಹೋಕ (hōka) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Kannada: ಪೋಕರಿ (pōkari) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Kazakh: жауыз (jauyz) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Korean: 악역 (agyeok) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Korean: 악당 (akdang) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Latin: carnifex — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Latin: scelerātus — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Latin: persona negativa — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Macedonian: никаквец (nikakvec) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Macedonian: негати́вец (negatívec) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Macedonian: злобник (zlobnik) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Malay: penjahat — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Malayalam: വഞ്ചകൻ (vañcakaṉ) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Malayalam: ചതിയൻ (catiyaṉ) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Malayalam: കുറുക്കൻ (kuṟukkaṉ) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Marathi: खलनायक (khalnāyak) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Navajo: ájígaléidii — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Persian: بدذات (bad-zât) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Polish: czarny charakter — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Polish: złol — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Polish: złoczyńca — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Portuguese: vilão — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Romanian: spirit rău — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Romanian: viclean — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Romanian: răufăcător — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Russian: злоде́й (zlodéj) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Russian: отрица́тельный геро́й (otricátelʹnyj gerój) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Serbo-Croatian: негати́вац — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Serbo-Croatian: negatívac — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Slovene: negativec — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Spanish: villano — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Swahili: mhalifu — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Swedish: skurk — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Swedish: bov — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Tamil: வில்லன் (villaṉ) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Ukrainian: лиході́й (lyxodíj) — bad person in a stage or screen play
- Vietnamese: nhân vật phản diện — bad person in a stage or screen play
- French: vilain — a peasant free of serfdom
- French: paysan — a peasant free of serfdom
- Galician: vilán — a peasant free of serfdom
- Georgian: ვასალი (vasali) — a peasant free of serfdom
- Italian: vassallo — a peasant free of serfdom
- Italian: servo feudale — a peasant free of serfdom
- Malayalam: വഞ്ചകൻ (vañcakaṉ) — a peasant free of serfdom
- Persian: رعیت (ra'yat) — a peasant free of serfdom
- Portuguese: vilão — a peasant free of serfdom
- Romanian: șerb — a peasant free of serfdom
- Romanian: iobag — a peasant free of serfdom
- Romanian: vecin — a peasant free of serfdom
- Russian: васса́л (vassál) — a peasant free of serfdom
Real reading context