méchant
/me.ʃɑ̃/
The French word for villain is méchant.
As a noun, méchant refers to a villain or the antagonist in stories and movies. It is also used as an adjective to describe someone or something as mean, naughty or bad.
Meaning: scoundrel (noun)
Which one should you use?
While méchant is used as a noun to mean a villain, it is also the most common adjective used to describe someone as bad or mean.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun méchant changes to its feminine form méchante when referring to a female villain.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables: /me.ʃɑ̃/.
Did you know?
- When describing a taste, such as a strong alcohol or a sharp cheese, a French speaker might call it méchant to mean it is impressively powerful or intense.
- In modern French slang, méchant can be used as a synonym for 'awesome' or 'impressive', similar to how English speakers use 'wicked'.
- The word méchant shares its roots with the concept of misfortune rather than intentional malice. It originally described someone who was 'hapless' or 'unlucky' because things simply went wrong for them.
Examples in context
- Arthur a le rôle du méchant.Arthur plays the role of the villain.This sentence is useful for describing someone playing the role of the méchant.Tatoeba #722678 by qdii, translation #9685298 by Objectivesea
- Sami est toujours le méchant dans le film.Sami is always the villain in the movie.This sentence is useful for noting that someone is always the méchant in a film.Tatoeba #6378232 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #6378116 by OsoHombre
- Qui est ton personnage de méchant préféré au cinéma ?Who's your favorite movie villain?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's favorite méchant character in cinema.Tatoeba #1716933 by sacredceltic, translation #908728 by CK
- Le méchant dans le film était vraiment effrayant.The villain in the movie was really scary.
- Le personnage maléfique était le point culminant du roman.The villainous character was the highlight of the novel.
- Le méchant dans ce dessin animé est vraiment effrayant.The villain in this cartoon is really scary.
- Les bandits ont planifié un vol audacieux.The villains planned a daring robbery.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are talking about a book they both read.
- HugoLe méchant de l'histoire est vraiment cruel.The villain of the story is really cruel.
- ManonOui, mais il est très intéressant.Yes, but he is very interesting.
- HugoJe n'aime pas ce genre de méchant.I don't like that kind of villain.
- ManonMoi, j'adore les personnages sombres.Me, I love dark characters.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry méchant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries méchant, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
