miscreant
Definitions
A person who behaves badly or breaks the law; a villain or troublemaker
恶棍，坏人，捣乱者
Behaving badly or wickedly
作恶的，邪恶的
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedmis- (wrongly) + creant (from credent, 'believing') = "one who believes wrongly." Originally a heretic or unbeliever. Over centuries 'wrong believer' hardened into 'wrongdoer,' so today a miscreant is simply a villain — the belief is gone, only the badness remains.
Root cred still carries 12 more wordsWhy It Means This
The most surprising member of the cred family — there is no trace of 'belief' left in modern usage. It came through Old French mescreant ('disbelieving'), meaning a non-Christian or heretic. As religious framing faded, the moral judgment stayed: a 'bad believer' became simply a bad person.
Common Collocations
- 1.catch the miscreant抓住恶棍
- 2.punish the miscreants惩处坏人
Example Sentences
- 1.
The miscreants were caught vandalizing the playground.
- 2.
Police rounded up the miscreants behind the thefts.
Synonym Comparison
- miscreant — villain/troublemaker; slightly formal or archaic, often half-humorous
- villain — clear evildoer, especially in a story
- culprit — the one responsible for a specific offense
- scoundrel — dishonest, unprincipled person; dated
- wrongdoer — neutral, broad term for anyone who does wrong