The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word EVIL
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
E
V
I
L
More clues leading to the result EVIL
- Wickedness not recorded after revolution
- Be upstanding? Wrong
- 24 last to return
- Be up for depravity
- It’s not good to dwell on revolution
- Like the villain of the piece
- Pantomime villain’s secret vice
- Wicked – potentially shocking, on reflection
- Very little in press turned up? Not good
- Harmful pest we eradicated
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Like the villain of the piece" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case like the villain of the piece = evil.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does EVIL mean?
EVIL noun- Moral badness; wickedness; malevolence; the forces or behaviors that are the opposite or enemy of good.
- Something which impairs the happiness of a being or deprives a being of any good; something which causes suffering of any kind to sentient beings; harm; injury; mischief.
- A malady or disease; especially in the phrase king's evil (scrofula).
- Intending to harm; malevolent.
- Morally corrupt.
- Unpleasant, foul (of odour, taste, mood, weather, etc.).
- Producing or threatening sorrow, distress, injury, or calamity; unpropitious; calamitous.
- Having harmful qualities; not good; worthless or deleterious.
- Undesirable; harmful; bad practice
- Wickedly, evilly, iniquitously
- Injuriously, harmfully; in a damaging way.
- Badly, poorly; in an insufficient way.