villainous

English

Etymology

From Middle English vileinous, from Old French vileneus; surface analysis villain +‎ -ous.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvɪlənəs/

• Audio (Berkshire, UK)

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Adjective

villainous (comparative more villainous, superlative most villainous)

1. Of, relating to, or appropriate to a villain.
2. Wicked, offensive, or reprehensible in nature or behaviour; nefarious.
   • 1601, Ben Jonson, Poetaster or The Arraignment: […], London: […] [R. Bradock] for M[atthew] L[ownes] […], published 1602, →OCLC, Act III:

     Tuc[ca]. […] Can thy Author doe it impudently enough? / Hiſt[rio]. O, I warrant you, Captaine: and ſpitefully inough too; he ha's one of the moſt ouerflowing villanous wits, in Rome. He will ſlander any man that breathes; If he diſguſt him. / Tucca. I'le know the poor, egregious, nitty Raſcall; and he haue ſuch commendable Qualities, I'le cheriſh him: […]

   • 1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1965, →OCLC, page 9:

     Bah! to this toilet for the villainous boredom of church.

Alternative forms

• villanous (obsolete)

Synonyms

• villainly
• villainy

Derived terms

• villainously
• villainousness

Translations

of, relating to, or appropriate to a villain

• Arabic: شِرِّير‎ (ar) (širrīr)
• Bulgarian: злодейски (bg) (zlodejski)
• French: crapuleux (fr), scélérat (fr)
• Georgian: ბოროტული (boroṭuli), ბოროტმოქმედული (boroṭmokmeduli), საძაგელი (saʒageli)
• German: niederträchtig (de), bösartig (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: πανοῦργος (panoûrgos)

• Irish: bithiúnta
• Japanese: 悪辣なる (akuratsu naru)
• Latin: scelestus
• Portuguese: vilanesco
• Russian: злой (ru) (zloj), злоде́йский (ru) (zlodéjskij) (of an action)
• Swedish: skurkaktig (sv)