i Register
In some senses, villain is marked as archaic, derogatory, obsolete. Watch for register when choosing this word.
ADJ
pantomime
The evil character in the Christmas show was a classic pantomime villain that the audience loved to boo.
VERB + VILLAIN
cast sb as
In the movie, the director cast him as the villain who terrorizes the small town.
play
The actor enjoyed playing villains because they were more interesting than heroic characters.
catch, nail
The detective finally caught the villain after months of investigation.
PHRASES
the villain of the piece/story
In the movie, the corrupt mayor turned out to be the villain of the piece.