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⇱ villainous - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

villainous

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈvɪlənəs/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(vil′ə nəs)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
vil•lain•ous  (vil′ə nəs),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. having a cruel, wicked, malicious nature or character.
  2. of, pertaining to, or befitting a villain:villainous treachery.
  3. outrageously base, wicked, or vile:a villainous attack on his character.
  4. very objectionable or unpleasant;
    bad;
    wretched:a villainous storm.
  • 1300–50; Middle English; see villain, -ous
vil′lain•ous•ly, adv. 
vil′lain•ous•ness, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
villainous /ˈvɪlənəs/ adj
  1. of, like, or appropriate to a villain
  2. very bad or disagreeable: a villainous climate
ˈvillainously adv ˈvillainousness n
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
vil•lain /ˈvɪlən/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. a cruel or evil person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime;
    a scoundrel.
  2. Literaturea character in a play, novel, or the like who commits cruel and evil deeds.
  3. Literaturea person, condition, etc., regarded as the source of a problem or evil:Unemployment is a constant villain.
vil•lain•ous, adj. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
vil•lain  (vil′ən),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime;
    scoundrel.
  2. Literaturea character in a play, novel, or the like, who constitutes an important evil agency in the plot.
  3. Law, World Historyvillein.
  • Late Latin villānus a farm servant. See villa, -an
  • Middle French
  • Middle English vilein, vilain 1275–1325
    1. knave, rascal, rapscallion, rogue, scamp.
'villainous' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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