Definitions for villain
ˈvɪl ənvil·lain

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. villain, scoundrelnoun

   a wicked or evil person; someone who does evil deliberately

2. villain, baddienoun

   the principal bad character in a film or work of fiction

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. villainnoun

   A vile, wicked person.

2. villainnoun

   The bad person in a work of fiction; often the main antagonist of the hero.

3. villainnoun

   A villain was in a low level of medieval serfdom. A cotter may have been lower.

4. Etymology: Probably villein, from villain (modern: vilain), in turn from Late, meaning serf or peasant, someone who is bound to the soil of a villa, which is to say, worked on the equivalent of a plantation in late Antiquity, in Italy or Gaul.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Villain

   A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines such a character as "a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime; scoundrel; or a character in a play, novel, or the like, who constitutes an important evil agency in the plot". The antonym of a villain is a hero. The villain's structural purpose is to serve as the opposition of the hero character and their motives or evil actions drive a plot along. In contrast to the hero, who is defined by feats of ingenuity and bravery and the pursuit of justice and the greater good, a villain is often defined by their acts of selfishness, evilness, arrogance, cruelty, and cunning, displaying immoral behavior that can oppose or pervert justice.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Villainnoun

   one who holds lands by a base, or servile, tenure, or in villenage; a feudal tenant of the lowest class, a bondman or servant

2. Villainnoun

   a baseborn or clownish person; a boor

3. Villainnoun

   a vile, wicked person; a man extremely depraved, and capable or guilty of great crimes; a deliberate scoundrel; a knave; a rascal; a scamp

4. Villainadjective

   villainous

5. Villainverb

   to debase; to degrade

6. Etymology: [OE. vilein, F. vilain, LL. villanus, from villa a village, L. villa a farm. See Villa.]

FreebaseRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Villain

   A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters. A female villain is sometimes called a villainess. Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines villain as "a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime; scoundrel; or a character in a play, novel, or the like, who constitutes an important evil agency in the plot".

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Villain

   vil′ān, or vil′in, n. a wicked wretch: a man extremely degraded: in feudal times, a member of the lowest class of unfree persons.—ns. Vill′aināge, Vill′anāge, Vill′eināge, Vill′enāge, in feudal times, the tenure of land by villein, i.e. base or menial services.—adj. Vill′ainous, like or suited to a villain: depraved: proceeding from extreme depravity: very bad, mean, vile.—adv. Vill′ainously.—ns. Vill′ainousness; Vill′ainy, the act of a villain: extreme depravity: an atrocious crime. [Orig. 'a serf attached to a farm,' O. Fr. villain—Low L. villanus—L. villa.]

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. villain

   Song lyrics by villain -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by villain on the Lyrics.com website.

Etymology and OriginsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Villain

   Although signifying originally a mean, low fellow, but by no means one of reprehensive morals as now, this term was applied to a labourer on a farm or a country seat. To argue this point with the humble day-labourer who trims the shrubs at a suburban villa in our own time, would serve no useful purpose.

Matched Categories

1. • Character
   • Unwelcome Person

How to pronounce villain?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say villain in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of villain in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of villain in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of villain in a Sentence

1. Mike Bawden:

   It’s always so easy to Monday morning quarterback the ER, but everyone was really nice — even the other patients, i think it’s important for folks to realize that nobody’s the villain.

2. Kristin Davis:

   I think they were framing things in a way to Roger Stone as a villain to the jury.

3. Amy Winehouse:

   What they have tried to do was to make a film which is a Hollywood blockbuster. They have forgotten it is a documentary, there is a villain, me ... and there's the heroine who dies at the end ... My overall feeling is of grave disappointment.

4. Mark McGrath:

   It’s Omarosa time! Time to talk about her stint in the White House. But, you always have to remember, this is Omarosa, a world-class realty TV villain, is it true? Is it game? Is it her story? Is it the real story? It’s Omarosa’s world, and I’m just living in it.

5. Proverb:

   A good man in an evil society seems the greatest villain of all

Popularity rank by frequency of use