adj

villainous

VIH-luh-nuhs

Villainous (adj) means Wicked, evil, or characteristic of a villain. Example: “He gave a villainous laugh before slamming the door.”

adj

Wicked, evil, or characteristic of a villain.

"He gave a villainous laugh before slamming the door."

"The plot was full of villainous scheming and double-crosses."

How to use villainous

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishBehaving like, or looking like, a villain — evil or nasty.

Common pairings

a villainous plot villainous behaviour a villainous grin

more villainous comparative, most villainous superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

He gave a _____ laugh before slamming the door.

From Old French vileneus, from villain.

Origin: Old French

villainly villainy

goodness villainly villainy

yous nous pious joyous heinous ominous curious anxious copious tenuous tedious spurious

What does “villainous” mean?

The word “villainous” means wicked, evil, or characteristic of a villain. In plain terms, behaving like, or looking like, a villain — evil or nasty.

How do you pronounce “villainous”?

“Villainous” is pronounced VIH-luh-nuhs (/ˈvɪlənəs/ in IPA).

How do you use “villainous” in a sentence?

Here is “villainous” used in a sentence: “He gave a villainous laugh before slamming the door.”

What is another word for “villainous”?

Words with a similar meaning to “villainous” include villainly and villainy.

What part of speech is “villainous”?

“Villainous” is an adjective.

Where does the word “villainous” come from?

The word “villainous” comes from Old French. From Old French vileneus, from villain.

goodness villainly villainy