vilain

ugly, nasty

adjective vee-LAN Less Common

Also means

naughty, wicked

Usage Note

Vilain in modern French most often means ugly or unpleasant in appearance, or naughty (especially of a child: sois pas vilain ! — don't be naughty!). Historically it meant a peasant or serf (related to English 'villain'), and that sense of moral wickedness survives in literary or older texts. The feminine is vilaine, and the phrase vilain tour means a dirty trick.

Examples

"Il fait un vilain temps aujourd'hui."

Natural Translation

The weather is nasty today.

Literal Translation

It makes a nasty weather today.

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