villain

== English == === Alternative forms === villan (archaic) === Etymology === Probably from Middle English vilein, from Old French vilein (modern French vilain), in turn from Late Latin vīllānus, meaning serf or peasant, someone who is bound to the soil of a Latin vīlla, which is to say, worked on the equivalent of a plantation in late Antiquity, in Italy or Gaul. Doublet of villein. Compare typologically pagan (see more). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈvɪl.ən/ (dialectal) IPA(key): /ˈvɪl.jən/ Rhymes: -ɪlən Homophone: villein Hyphenation: vil‧lain === Noun === villain (plural villains) (Can we clean up(+) this sense?) A vile, wicked person. An extremely depraved person, or one capable or guilty of great crimes. A deliberate scoundrel. (archaic, derogatory) A low-born, abject person. (fiction) A character who has the role of being bad, especially antagonizing the hero; an antagonist who is also evil or malevolent. Synonyms: antagonist; see also Thesaurus:villain (poker) Any opponent player, especially a hypothetical player for example and didactic purposes. Compare: hero (“the current player”). Archaic form of villein (“feudal tenant, peasant, serf”). ==== Synonyms ==== knave rascal scamp cad See also Thesaurus:villain See also Thesaurus:troublemaker ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Japanese: ヴィラン (viran) → Korean: 빌런 (billeon) → Tamil: வில்லன் (villaṉ) ==== Translations ==== === Verb === villain (third-person singular simple present villains, present participle villaining, simple past and past participle villained) (obsolete, transitive) To debase; to degrade [16th century]. === References === === Further reading === villain on Wikipedia.Wikipedia === Anagrams === Villani, villian == Finnish == === Alternative forms === villojen === Noun === villain (dated) genitive plural of villa === Anagrams === villani == Old French == === Noun === villain oblique singular, m (oblique plural villainz, nominative singular villainz, nominative plural villain) alternative form of vilain