evil
Americanadjective
-
morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked.
evil deeds;
an evil life.
- Antonyms:
- righteous
-
evil laws.
- Synonyms:
- destructive, pernicious
-
characterized or accompanied by misfortune or suffering; unfortunate; disastrous.
to be fallen on evil days.
-
due to actual or imputed bad conduct or character.
an evil reputation.
-
marked by anger, irritability, irascibility, etc..
He is known for his evil disposition.
noun
-
evils
plural
-
that which is evil; evil quality, intention, or conduct.
to choose the lesser of two evils.
- Synonyms:
- baseness, corruption, unrighteousness, iniquity, depravity, wickedness
-
the force in nature that governs and gives rise to wickedness and sin.
-
the wicked or immoral part of someone or something.
The evil in his nature has destroyed the good.
-
harm; mischief; misfortune.
to wish one evil.
-
anything causing injury or harm.
Tobacco is considered by some to be an evil.
-
a harmful aspect, effect, or consequence.
the evils of alcohol.
-
a disease, as king's evil.
adverb
idioms
adjective
-
morally wrong or bad; wicked
an evil ruler
-
causing harm or injury; harmful
an evil plan
-
marked or accompanied by misfortune; unlucky
an evil fate
-
(of temper, disposition, etc) characterized by anger or spite
-
not in high esteem; infamous
an evil reputation
-
offensive or unpleasant
an evil smell
-
slang good; excellent
noun
-
the quality or an instance of being morally wrong; wickedness
the evils of war
-
(sometimes capital) a force or power that brings about wickedness or harm
evil is strong in the world
-
archaic an illness or disease, esp scrofula (the king's evil )
adverb
Usage
What are other ways to say evil?
A person or thing that is evil is morally wrong. How does evil differ from bad, wicked, and ill? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
evilnessnoun
-
nonevilnessnoun
-
noneviladjective
-
quasi-eviladjective
-
uneviladjective
-
evillyadverb
-
nonevillyadverb
-
quasi-evillyadverb
-
unevillyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of evil
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
Explanation
Evil is the opposite of good. We usually think of villains as evil — wrong, immoral and nasty on many levels — and heroes as good. This word is often reserved for our most terrible crimes and criminals: Adolf Hitler is usually the face of evil in history, while Voldemort is that face in recent literature. Evil can be less extreme, meaning simply anything that brings harm; we can talk about the evils of alcohol or the evils of power. When both major candidates for President seem lame, people often say they're choosing between the lesser of two evils. Not all evils are equally evil.
Vocabulary lists containing evil
Bush's Address on 9/11
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"Frankenstein" and "How Frankenstein Began"
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"The Flying Machine" by Ray Bradbury
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
If you think a fluffy sheep couldn’t possibly look evil, think again.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Her son Luca Dotti once said in an interview: "She believed very much that there is a struggle between good and evil and you have to take sides."
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Discussing his India trip, the “Primetime” version of Hansen remembers an alleged witness to the kidnappings, who describes the perpetrator as a monstrous ancient evil lurking in the dark.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026
For most politicians, calling the 9/11 attacks evil would be unremarkable.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
“I mean, we have to rest. We can’t fight a great evil and rescue a not-so-famous author, not to mention bird thief and Glory’s real aunt, if we haven’t slept or eaten.”
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
But he was outperformed citywide, leaving Palisades voters with a choice some liken to picking the lesser of two evils: Mayor Karen Bass or Councilmember Nithya Raman.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
And coming from the field of disinformation in particular, A.I. is a Pandora’s box of yet-to-be-imagined evils.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
He notes that “complaints about the evils of consumerism have long been a staple among intellectuals, but I see evil only in its excesses.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
It encapsulates the well-founded belief that starting a war is likely to create unforeseen evils greater than the evil of the status quo.
From Salon ● Mar. 14, 2026
In the end, we had no option but to choose between the lesser of two evils, and opt for a diminished education.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
