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badman

badman

1 7.7
A man who does cruel or wrong things in stories
  • noun
  • /ˈbædˌmæn/
  • Literature
translation icon : villano

Examples

  • I am a damn badman and you will not find a worse.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • It ain't no different than the badman arresting the sheriff!

    Fiction book (1995)
  • In the story, the badman plotted to take over the town, instilling fear in its residents.

  • The villain in the movie was a classic badman, always creating chaos and trouble for the heroes.

  • Everyone knew he was a badman after he betrayed his friends for wealth and power.

Synonyms

bad guy
vsbadman
  • Informal
415 3.0

A person who goes against others or causes harm

is specifically a male who is evil rather than just an opponent
villain
vsbadman
272 3.3

A person who does very bad things, often the main bad character in a story

is a male who is evil or immoral often in folklore
bad person
vsbadman
  • Offensive
104 1.6

A person who harms others on purpose or does wrong things

is male-specific rather than a person of any gender
evildoer
vsbadman
15 7.5

A person who does bad things to hurt other people

is used more as a male character in folklore or stories
baddy
vsbadman
  • Baby Talk
8 3.8

A bad character in a story who causes trouble for the hero, often in children's stories

is a male who acts evil not limited to children's tales
baddie
vsbadman
  • Baby Talk
2 7.0

A person who is the main bad character in a story or film, often in children's stories

is a male who is evil across stories beyond child usage
archvillain
vsbadman
1 8.0

The main enemy in a story who is very powerful and evil

is a male who is evil but without the superlative power emphasis
archfiend
vsbadman
  • Literature
1 9.2

A very powerful evil enemy in stories or legends

is a male evil figure without the exaggerated mythical status
archdemon
vsbadman
9.9

A person people think is extremely cruel or evil

is a human male with evil actions rather than a supernatural being

Antonyms

1.1

A person admired for brave actions and good qualities

How Evil

monster
  • Offensive
470 3.3
villain
272 3.3
badman
  • Literature
1 7.7
scoundrel
  • Offensive
51 6.5
wrongdoer
8 4.3

Surface Forms

badman singular
badmen plural

Morphology

badman = bad + man (transparent) = bad + man

The meaning 'evil or villainous man' follows directly from the literal meanings of 'bad' + 'man'.

Etymology

The word badman comes from bad ('not good' or 'evil') and man ('man'), so in stories it names a villain or evil man who does wrong.