The villain of the piece

usgb
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.
Visual representation of "the villain of the piece" - The person or thing causing problems or negative outcomes in a situation.

Often appears as...

  • become the villain of the piece
  • reveal the villain of the piece

Usage tips

General, Idiomatic

Definition 1 of 1
Visual representation of "the villain of the piece"
LampPro Tip 1/3

Metaphorical Use

The phrase can be metaphorical, not referring to an actual person but a problematic factor in any situation.

Illustration for Metaphorical Use
Traffic congestion was the villain of the piece in my morning commute.
LampPro Tip 2/3

Not Literal

Doesn't have to be a 'villain' in the traditional sense, like in movies or books.

Illustration for Not Literal
In our project failure, the villain of the piece was poor communication.
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Collocation Clues

Words like 'become', 'reveal', 'identify' help to show the function and discovery of the 'villain' in context.

Illustration for Collocation Clues
After the investigation, we could finally identify the villain of the piece: a faulty wire.
Visual representation of the word "The villain of the piece"

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