villainize

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.

We’ve been taught to fetishize our suffering and villainize our joy — that working toward a long-term goal should feel like work.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

When “Yellowstone,” Sheridan’s first show, premiered in 2018, #MeToo was reverberating across television with producers waffling over whether to villainize or defend macho characters.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

“Anybody who is using this as an opportunity to villainize our trans community or any other community out there has lost their sense of common humanity,” he said at a press conference.

From Salon • Aug. 28, 2025

But she also sees a temptation among public officials to villainize or medicalize loneliness— and to tout simplistic “solutions” to a complex and natural part of the human experience.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 24, 2024

“No. They probably would villainize you to justify it.”

From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas