villainess

[ vil-uh-nis ]

noun

1. a villainous woman.

Gender Note

See -ess.

Word History and Origins

Origin of villainess¹

First recorded in 1580–90; villain + -ess

Example Sentences

Maleficent, for example. re-told the tale of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the villainess.

From BBC

But Dixon, whose name admittedly should belong to the socialite villainess of a Harlequin romance novel, is definitely one to watch in the "how far-right can Republicans get" sweepstakes that is midterm-watching.

From Salon

A sort of “Suicide Squad” for the Bravo reality juggernaut, the spinoff finds the villainesses booted off their original series heading to a palatial estate in the Berkshires to drunkenly accuse one another of … whatever.

From Washington Post

And with the exception of Canning, a villainess pure and simple, they are made more dimensional.

From Los Angeles Times

She’s not evil, it’s this archetype that chases her: the deadly villainess, the villain behind the man.

From New York Times