villain

/ˈvɪlən/

/ˈvɪlən/

Other forms: villains

A villain is a bad person — real or made up. In books, movies, current events, or history, the villain is the character who does mean, evil things on purpose.

Today a villain is a wicked person, whether in fact or fiction. In the 1300s, villain described a low-born rustic. It came from the Medieval Latin word villanus, or farmhand. Just why a word would evolve from meaning farmer into evildoer is a little mysterious, although it probably has to do with farmers not being chivalrous, like the knights who were so admired in those days.

Definitions of villain

1. noun

   a wicked or evil person; someone who does evil deliberately
   synonyms: scoundrel

   types:

   blackguard, bounder, cad, dog, heel, hound

   someone who is morally reprehensible

   gallows bird

   a person who deserves to be hanged

   knave, rapscallion, rascal, rogue, scalawag, scallywag, varlet

   a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel

   villainess

   a woman villain

   perisher

   bounder

   type of:

   persona non grata, unwelcome person

   a person who for some reason is not wanted or welcome
2. noun

   the principal bad character in a film or work of fiction
   synonyms: baddie

   type of:

   character, part, persona, role, theatrical role

   an actor's portrayal of someone in a play, film, etc...