Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

villainize

[vil-uh-nahyz] / ˈvɪl əˌnaɪz /




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.

See Examples For:

In the process of learning from past behaviors, we sometimes villainize our former selves.

From MarketWatch Jul. 24, 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

New York teams are used to being villainized by the rest of the world.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 8, 2026

On a human level, how does it feel to be so villainized?

From Salon May 15, 2025

But it’s important to note that not all cultures villainized menstruation, Clancy says.

From National Geographic Nov. 29, 2023

“We’re not only being tasked with taking this on, but we’re villainized for speaking up,” Castro said.

From Seattle Times Mar. 3, 2023

“They took her identity. They took her name. They sensationalized her. They villainized her. Of course, that had an effect on her. How could it not?”

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 16, 2022

I mean, I want us to get back to kindness, get back to respecting one another, instead of villainizing anyone who you think doesn’t agree with you.

From Salon Jul. 27, 2025

Figgener fears the public also became too focused on villainizing straws, rather than looking at plastic production itself as the problem.

From National Geographic Dec. 12, 2023

The Corporation is just like all the giant conglomerates villainizing contemporary narratives, from Dave Eggers’ “The Circle” to “Silicon Valley’s” Hooli to “WALL-E’s” Buy n Large to “Severance’s” Lumon Industries.

From Los Angeles Times Jan. 18, 2023

“Nobody is villainizing the county” for property tax increases, he said.

From Seattle Times Feb. 24, 2022

Though Aniston is down to do whatever unbecoming thing is asked of her, the show itself seems intermittently panicked about how far it can go in villainizing her.

From Slate Nov. 14, 2019




Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training