vilain
French
Etymology
From Old French vilain, vilein, villein, from Late Latin vīllānus (“farm worker”), from Latin vīlla. Not related to vil.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /vi.lɛ̃/, (before a vowel) /vi.lɛn‿/
audio (file) - Homophone: vilains
Noun
vilain m (plural vilains, feminine vilaine)
- villain
- peasant
- country dweller
Derived terms
- jeu de main, jeu de vilain
- oignez vilain, il vous poindra ; poignez vilain, il vous oindra
- super-vilain
Adjective
vilain (feminine vilaine, masculine plural vilains, feminine plural vilaines)
- ugly
- une vilaine couleur ― an ugly color
- une vilaine voix ― an ugly voice
- Synonyms: laid, moche
- Antonyms: beau, joli
- disagreeable, awful
- Il fait vilain. ― The weather is awful.
- La curiosité est un vilain défaut. ― Curiosity killed the cat.
- naughty
- de vilains enfants ― naughty children
- Synonym: mauvais
- Antonyms: gentil, sage
- villainous, wicked, nasty, evil
- de vilaines actions ― wicked deeds
- une vilaine fièvre ― a bad fever
- Elle a un vilain rhume. ― She's got a nasty cold.
- Il m’a joué un vilain tour. ― He played a dirty trick on me.
- Synonyms: cruel, dangereux, mauvais, méchant
Derived terms
- la curiosité est un vilain défaut
- vilain petit canard
Related terms
- ville
Further reading
- “vilain”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Norman
Etymology
From Old French vilain, from Late Latin vīllānus (“farm worker”), from Latin vīlla.
Adjective
vilain m
- (Jersey) ugly
Old French
Alternative forms
- vilein (Anglo-Norman)
- villein
Etymology
From Late Latin vīllānus (“farm worker”), from Latin vīlla.
Noun
vilain m (oblique plural vilainz, nominative singular vilainz, nominative plural vilain)
- peasant; commoner
Synonyms
- païsan
Descendants
- French: vilain
- Norman: vilain
- → Middle English: vilein
- English: villain