evil

[ ee-vuhl ]

adjective

1. morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked:

   evil deeds;

   an evil life.

   Synonyms: nefarious, vile, base, corrupt, vicious, depraved, iniquitous, sinful

   Antonyms: righteous

2. harmful; detrimental:

   evil laws.

   Synonyms: destructive, pernicious

3. characterized or accompanied by misfortune or suffering; unfortunate; disastrous:

   to be fallen on evil days.

4. due to actual or imputed bad conduct or character:

   an evil reputation.

5. marked by anger, irritability, irascibility, etc.:

   He is known for his evil disposition.

noun

1. that which is evil; evil quality, intention, or conduct:

   to choose the lesser of two evils.

   Synonyms: baseness, unrighteousness, corruption, iniquity, depravity, wickedness

2. the force in nature that governs and gives rise to wickedness and sin.
3. the wicked or immoral part of someone or something:

   The evil in his nature has destroyed the good.

4. harm; mischief; misfortune:

   to wish one evil.

   Synonyms: woe, calamity, disaster, sorrow, suffering, misery

5. anything causing injury or harm:

   Tobacco is considered by some to be an evil.

6. a harmful aspect, effect, or consequence:

   the evils of alcohol.

7. a disease, as king's evil.

adverb

1. in an evil manner; badly; ill:

   It went evil with him.

evil

/ ˈiːvəl /

adjective

1. morally wrong or bad; wicked

   an evil ruler

2. causing harm or injury; harmful

   an evil plan

3. marked or accompanied by misfortune; unlucky

   an evil fate

4. (of temper, disposition, etc) characterized by anger or spite
5. not in high esteem; infamous

   an evil reputation

6. offensive or unpleasant

   an evil smell

7. slang.
   good; excellent

noun

1. the quality or an instance of being morally wrong; wickedness

   the evils of war

2. sometimes capital a force or power that brings about wickedness or harm

   evil is strong in the world

3. archaic.
   an illness or disease, esp scrofula (the king's evil )

adverb

1. now usually in combination in an evil manner; badly

   evil-smelling

Derived Forms

• ˈevilness, noun
• ˈevilly, adverb

Other Words From

• evil·ly adverb
• evil·ness noun
• non·evil adjective
• non·evil·ly adverb
• non·evil·ness noun
• quasi-evil adjective
• quasi-evil·ly adverb
• un·evil adjective
• un·evil·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of evil¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English evel, evil, Old English yfel; cognate with Gothic ubils, Old High German ubil, German übel, Old Frisian, Middle Dutch evel

Word History and Origins

Origin of evil¹

Old English yfel, of Germanic origin; compare Old Frisian evel, Old High German ubil evil, Old Irish adbal excessive

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. the evil one, the devil; Satan.

Example Sentences

But along with the cartoon funk is an all-too-real story of police brutality embodied by a horde of evil Pigs.

From The Daily Beast

Or has the see and hear and speak-no-evil stance of the Republican House persuaded him that he is in the clear?

From The Daily Beast

One wonders if his subsequent battles with the “Evil Empire” were animated by this belief.

From The Daily Beast

Luke Skywalker is an evil robot who has fallen to the dark side of the force.

From The Daily Beast

The skateboarder is as irredeemably evil as the others are noble.

From The Daily Beast

He alludes to it as one of their evil customs and used by them to produce insensibility.

From Project Gutenberg

The Majesty on high has a colony and a people on earth, which otherwise is under the supremacy of the Evil One.

From Project Gutenberg

Good is set against evil, and life against death: so also is the sinner against a just man.

From Project Gutenberg

All felt strangely as if something evil had crept into their lives, and their excitement was great.

From Project Gutenberg

We dismounted, and speedily found that MacRae hadn't exaggerated the evil qualities of that descent.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• calamity
• catastrophe
• corruption
• crime
• harm
• hatred
• ill
• misery
• pain
• sin
• suffering
• wrong