villainess

noun

vil·​lain·​ess ˈvi-lə-nəs How to pronounce villainess (audio)
: a woman who is a villain

Examples of villainess in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In October, mega-producer Jason Blum and actress Allison Williams, who plays Gemma—the deuteragonist and hidden villainess of the M3GAN franchise—gave fans a sneak peek of the new movie at New York Comic Con. Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 3 Jan. 2025 Sister to Cynthia Erivo’s would-be villainess Elphaba, the character uses a wheelchair and, in Wicked: Part Two (in theaters Nov. 26, 2025), becomes the Wicked Witch of the East who terrorizes Munchkinland. Jack Smart, People.com, 2 Dec. 2024 Before Blanchett played the Evil Stepmother of 2015’s Cinderella, Wiegler was the actress’s first stab at a fairy-tale-like villainess, rocking a white-trash accent offset by her sleek outfits and lethal skills with a gun. Tim Grierson, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2024 As Jennifer, Zamata will be a key member of the coven led by the titular Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), the villainess still reeling from the loss of her witchy magic a la Wanda Maximoff’s (Elizabeth Olsen) revenge. Shania Russell, EW.com, 9 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for villainess 

Word History

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of villainess was in 1586

Dictionary Entries Near villainess

Cite this Entry

“Villainess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/villainess. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

villainess

noun
vil·​lain·​ess ˈvil-ə-nəs How to pronounce villainess (audio)
: a woman who is a villain

More from Merriam-Webster on villainess

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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