Meaning & use
villainized
Portrayed or treated as wicked, evil, or to blame for a problem, often unfairly or without full justification.
See it in a sentence
The scientist felt villainized by the press after a single study was taken out of context.
Immigrants were unfairly villainized in the pamphlet's alarmist rhetoric.
A note on using this word
Villainized is closely related to 'vilified'; both describe being cast as bad, though villainize emphasizes being made into a villain.
Words with a similar meaning
demonizedvilified
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
praised
Make it your own
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