villain

villain — noun

1. someone whose character is evil and who intentionally inflicts suffering or trou

1.名詞B1
釋義

someone whose character is evil and who intentionally inflicts suffering or trouble on other people

例句

The villagers finally caught the villain who had been stealing their livestock at night.

catch the villain

Adina's grandmother always said that greed turns ordinary people into villains.

ordinary people into villains

同義詞
  • wrongdoer

    more formal and general; does not always imply evil intent

  • scoundrel

    old-fashioned or literary; suggests dishonesty rather than violence

  • malefactor

    very formal or legal; rare in everyday speech

反義詞
  • hero

    a person admired for courage or noble qualities

  • saint

    a very good, kind, and patient person

用法筆記

This is the broadest sense of 'villain' and can describe anyone from a playground bully to a violent criminal.

常見錯誤

❌The villain of the story was a kind woman.
✅The villain of the story was a cruel woman.
💡A villain, by definition, is bad or evil, not kind.
❌He called me a villain because I accidentally broke his cup.
✅He called me a villain because I deliberately hid his bag.
💡'Villain' implies intent to harm, not an accident.

2. a person who has committed a serious crime or illegal act, especially when seen

2.名詞B1
釋義

a person who has committed a serious crime or illegal act, especially when seen as dangerous

例句

The police are searching for the villains responsible for the bank robbery.

plural: the villains responsible for

Jiwoo read about a famous villain who escaped from prison and was never caught.

同義詞
  • criminal

    neutral, formal term — the standard word in legal and news contexts

  • outlaw

    old-fashioned; suggests a fugitive living outside society

  • felon

    technical legal term for someone guilty of a serious crime

反義詞

用法筆記

This sense is less formal than 'criminal' and is often used in news headlines or casual speech to describe someone who has committed a serious offence.

常見錯誤

❌The villain who stole my wallet was only 12 years old.
✅The boy who stole my wallet was only 12 years old.
💡'Villain' sounds too dramatic for a minor theft by a child.

3. a fictional figure found in books, films, or plays whose evil actions put them i

3.名詞A2
釋義

a fictional figure found in books, films, or plays whose evil actions put them in conflict with the leading good character

例句

The movie's villain wore a black mask and spoke in a deep, frightening voice.

typical attributes of a story villain

Christopher prefers stories where the villain has a sad past that explains their cruelty.

同義詞
  • antagonist

    formal literary term; the character who opposes the protagonist

  • bad guy

    informal; common in children's media and everyday speech

  • enemy

    more general; can refer to real people or groups, not just fictional characters

反義詞
  • hero

    the main good character in a story

  • protagonist

    the leading character, who is usually but not always good

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (EVIL PERSON): sense 3 always refers to a fictional character, not a real person. A well-written villain is often called 'compelling' or 'memorable'.

4. a person, group, or thing that people regard as a dangerous threat or the main c

4.名詞B2
釋義

a person, group, or thing that people regard as a dangerous threat or the main cause of harm in a particular situation

例句

Many people now see plastic waste as the biggest environmental villain of our time.

figurative: the villain of our time

Theo blamed processed sugar as the villain behind his family's health problems.

the villain behind [problem]

同義詞
  • threat

    neutral term; something that may cause harm, without the moral judgment

  • menace

    stronger than 'threat'; something dangerous and frightening

  • culprit

    the cause of a problem, often used playfully in health contexts

反義詞
  • saviour

    a person or thing that rescues or protects from harm

  • solution

    a way to fix a problem

文法句型

the villain of [something]

用法筆記

Used figuratively, often in debates, journalism, or discussions about social issues. The 'villain' here is rarely a single person — it is more often a substance, technology, or system.

常見錯誤

❌The sugar in my coffee is the villain of my diet.
✅I see processed sugar as the villain of my diet.
💡The 'villain' in this sense is something you strongly believe causes harm, not a minor ingredient you could easily remove.

5. someone or something that receives the blame for every difficulty in a given sit

5.名詞B2
釋義

someone or something that receives the blame for every difficulty in a given situation, regardless of actual responsibility

例句

When the project failed, Saira's boss looked for a villain instead of finding real solutions.

look for a villain

The real villain of the match was the terrible weather, not the losing team.

the real villain of [situation]

同義詞
  • scapegoat

    someone unfairly blamed for the mistakes of others; stronger implication of unfairness

  • culprit

    someone truly responsible; highlights guilt rather than blame

文法句型

the villain of [something]

用法筆記

Often appears in the fixed phrase 'the villain of the piece', which is used both seriously and humorously. The blame may be unfair or exaggerated.

常見錯誤

❌I am the villain of my own story.
✅I often feel like the villain of the piece when things go wrong at home.
💡The phrase 'villain of the piece' is the conventional expression; 'villain of the story' can work but is less idiomatic in this sense.