The villain of the piece
noun
The person or thing causing problems or negative outcomes in a situation.
In every superhero movie, there is always a villain of the piece who wants to destroy the world.
Often appears as...
- become the villain of the piece
- reveal the villain of the piece
Usage tips
General, Idiomatic
noun
The person or thing causing problems or negative outcomes in a situation.
In every superhero movie, there is always a villain of the piece who wants to destroy the world.
Often appears as...
- become the villain of the piece
- reveal the villain of the piece
Usage tips
General, Idiomatic
Definition 1 of 1
Pro Tip 1/3Metaphorical Use
The phrase can be metaphorical, not referring to an actual person but a problematic factor in any situation.
Traffic congestion was the villain of the piece in my morning commute.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Literal
Doesn't have to be a 'villain' in the traditional sense, like in movies or books.
In our project failure, the villain of the piece was poor communication.
Pro Tip 3/3Collocation Clues
Words like 'become', 'reveal', 'identify' help to show the function and discovery of the 'villain' in context.
After the investigation, we could finally identify the villain of the piece: a faulty wire.
Pro Tip 1/3Metaphorical Use
The phrase can be metaphorical, not referring to an actual person but a problematic factor in any situation.
Traffic congestion was the villain of the piece in my morning commute.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Literal
Doesn't have to be a 'villain' in the traditional sense, like in movies or books.
In our project failure, the villain of the piece was poor communication.
Pro Tip 3/3Collocation Clues
Words like 'become', 'reveal', 'identify' help to show the function and discovery of the 'villain' in context.
After the investigation, we could finally identify the villain of the piece: a faulty wire.
Pro Tip 1/3Metaphorical Use
The phrase can be metaphorical, not referring to an actual person but a problematic factor in any situation.
Traffic congestion was the villain of the piece in my morning commute.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Literal
Doesn't have to be a 'villain' in the traditional sense, like in movies or books.
In our project failure, the villain of the piece was poor communication.
Pro Tip 3/3Collocation Clues
Words like 'become', 'reveal', 'identify' help to show the function and discovery of the 'villain' in context.
After the investigation, we could finally identify the villain of the piece: a faulty wire.
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