bad guy

noun

1

informal : the villain in a story : baddie

played the bad guy in the movie

2

informal : someone who is likened to the villain in a story: such as

a

: a criminal

Designed to keep guns out of the hands of bad guys and children …

—Popular Science

b

: a military enemy

… a decision that owes more to parochial conflicts within the Armed Forces than to doing the best job of surveilling bad guys.

—Stuart F. Brown

c

: someone who deserves to be blamed or criticized for causing a bad situation

Meanwhile, it's the environmentalists who are now portrayed as the bad guys, hiring lots of lawyers, consorting with congressmen …

—Eric Alterman

d

: a person who treats other people harshly or strictly : a person who says or does unpopular things

Parenting isn't just about having beautiful kids and being busy. It's about dealing with problems, and your success as a parent depends on your willingness to be the bad guy. If you aren't willing to be the bad guy, you shouldn't be a parent.

—Roy Bragg

Examples of bad guy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Good guys and bad guys have been using trackers in stories for a long time. —Jason Ogaard, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025

But because the job will include a lot of cross-continental travel — along with fighting bad guys and taking down national security threats — his romantic future with Rose is uncertain. —Emily Blackwood, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025

The children's television show centers on a pack of puppies, aka the PAW Patrol, and their fearless leader, Ryder, who work together to help the people of Adventure Bay overcome challenges, plus protect them from the occasional bad guy. —Alyssa Sybertz, Parents, 14 Jan. 2025

In fact, King said investigators found some bad guys simply stopped doing more dangerous crimes, like selling drugs, to focus on COVID scams. —Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 1