noun
villain
VIL-un/ˈvɪlən/
A person, character, or thing regarded as evil or responsible for harm.
The fictional villain secretly steals an heirloom.
Etymology
Someone attached to a farm became, in contemptuous usage, a supposedly low-born, ill-mannered person. That social insult hardened into “wicked person,” later the evil character in a story.
In context
I would call him an antagonist and not a villain because he's not evil he's very confused
More examples
- The story gave the villain a complicated past.
- Officials portrayed the company as the villain of the crisis.
- The hero finally confronted the villain.
Forms
Similar words
- antagonist
- Opposes the main character without necessarily being evil.
- culprit
- Responsible for a wrong or problem without necessarily being generally wicked.