Definitions

villainous

[vil-uh-nuhs] / ˈvɪl ə nəs /

ADJECTIVE

criminal

Synonyms

STRONGEST

nefarious shady vile wicked

WEAK

atrocious bad corrupt crooked cruel culpable deplorable depraved diabolical dirty evil felonious hateful ignoble illegal illicit immoral iniquitous knavish lawless low mean peccant reprehensible scandalous sinful unlawful

Antonyms

STRONGEST

good honorable nice respectable

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Their yearning for a bygone era can be seen in everything from the song Villainous Victorian to the braces Moore wears on stage to their love of vinyl.

From BBC • Oct. 26, 2020

Villainous plots have long fascinated the nation’s imagination.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 13, 2018

Villainous spies frequently slip incriminating documents into them, then threaten to peach unless the luckless Russian joins the organization.

From Time Magazine Archive

Villainous December brought numbing freezing spells and the black misery of cold and dampness.

From L'Assommoir by Zola, Émile

By and by we came to the Mauvais Pas, or the Villainous Road, to translate it feelingly.

From A Tramp Abroad — Volume 07 by Twain, Mark

Vocabulary lists containing villainous

Oh, No! Synonyms for "Bad"

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The Phantom Tollbooth

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One for the Murphys

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