Villain
/ˈvɪlən/
nounB1
Definition
A villain is someone who behaves in a harmful or wrong way, often causing trouble or pain to others. In stories, villains are the characters who oppose the hero and create problems. In real life, a villain can be someone who does very bad actions.
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See It in Action
A bad character in stories or movies
- •The villain tried to stop the hero from saving the city.
- •Every superhero story needs a villain to create challenges.
- •The villain laughed when his plan worked.
A person who does harmful or wrong things in real life
- •The police caught the villain who robbed the bank.
- •People called him a villain because of his cruel actions.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "villain" like "bad person," but often in stories or movies where they make clear problems for others
- ✓Picture a character in a movie who tries to stop the hero or hurt people, like the person who steals or fights
- ✓It's the feeling when someone is mean or unfair on purpose, making you feel worried or angry
- ✓Sounds like "VILL-in" → imagine a "villain" wearing a dark cape in a cartoon, doing bad things
- ✓Remember famous villains like the Joker in Batman stories, who causes trouble and fights heroes
- ✓NOT like "friend" (someone who helps and cares), a villain causes harm and trouble
- ✓NOT like "accident" (something bad but not on purpose), a villain acts with bad intentions
- ✓NOT like "hero" (good person who helps), a villain is the opposite who creates conflict
Try Other Words
- •Antagonist: a person who opposes the hero in a story (Use in literary or story contexts)
- •Criminal: a person who breaks the law (Use when focusing on real-life illegal actions)
- •Enemy: a person who is against someone else (Use when focusing on opposition or conflict)
- •Bad guy: informal way to say villain, often in movies or stories (Use in casual speech or storytelling)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no clear prefix or suffix, root "villain")
- •Etymology: From Old French "vilain," meaning a farm worker or low-born person, later changed to mean someone bad or wicked
- •Historical development: Originally meant a person of low social status, then in stories and language changed to mean a bad or evil person
- •Modern usage: Used mainly to describe bad characters in stories, movies, or real people who do harmful things
Reflect & Connect
•Why do stories need a villain? What role does a villain play in making a story interesting?
•Can someone be a villain in one story but a hero in another? How does perspective change who we call a villain?
Fill in the blanks
1.The villain caused trouble because he wanted to ___ the hero’s plan.
2.People feel scared when the villain shows up ___ the story.
3.Unlike a hero, the villain usually wants to ___ problems, not solve them.
4.In many movies, the villain ___ a secret plan to win.
5.The villain is often described as the person who ___ others.
6.When someone does bad things on purpose, we often call them a ___.
7.The hero fights the villain to ___ peace and safety.