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Definitions

bad guy

[bad gahy] / ˈbæd ˌgaɪ /
NOUN
villainous or criminal person
Synonyms
STRONGEST
antagonist antihero bad person baddie baddy cad knave miscreant scoundrel villain
STRONG
con convict criminal crook felon gangster gunman hoodlum lawbreaker offender robber thief wrongdoer
WEAK
bad actor malefactor reprobate rogue ruffian

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.

They said he gave less direct feedback than Lasseter and seemed to never want to be the bad guy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026

Asked about the indictment on Thursday at the White House, Trump said he did not know about it, but added that Bolton was "a bad guy".

From BBC • Oct. 16, 2025

Asked for his reaction to Bolton's indictment, Trump told reporters his former aide is a "bad guy" and "that's the way it goes."

From Barron's • Oct. 16, 2025

When Baylin and Susman asked Kotsur what he wanted to do next, he told them he really wanted to play a bad guy.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 18, 2025

It was like one of those movies where the bad guy is done monologuing, and the trap that he’s set hasn’t gone off yet, so everyone’s sitting around waiting for the BOOM.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste