wicked

[wik-id]

adjective

wickeder, wickedest 

1. evil or morally bad in principle or practice; sinful; iniquitous.

   wicked people;

   wicked habits.

   Synonyms: villainous, infamous, heinous, dissolute, depraved, corrupt, profligate, immoral, blasphemous, profane, impious, godless, ungodly, unrighteous
   Antonyms: virtuous, good

2. mischievous or playfully malicious.

   These wicked kittens upset everything.

3. distressingly severe, as a storm, wound, or cold.

   a wicked winter.

4. passing reasonable bounds; intolerably bad.

   wicked prices;

   a wicked exam.

5. having a bad disposition; ill-natured; mean.

   a wicked horse.

6. spiteful; malevolent; vicious.

   a wicked tongue.

7. extremely troublesome or dangerous.

   wicked roads.

8. unpleasant; foul.

   a wicked odor.

9. Slang.,  wonderful; great; masterful; deeply satisfying.

   He blows a wicked trumpet.

adverb

1. Slang.,  very; really; totally.

   That shirt is wicked cool.

wicked

/ ˈwɪkɪd /

adjective

1. 1. morally bad in principle or practice

   2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the wicked

2. mischievous or roguish, esp in a playful way

   a wicked grin

3. causing injury or harm

4. troublesome, unpleasant, or offensive

5. slang,  very good

Other Word Forms

• wickedly adverb
• quasi-wicked adjective
• quasi-wickedly adverb
• unwicked adjective
• unwickedly adverb
• wickedness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of wicked¹

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English wikked, equivalent to wikke “bad” (representing adjective use of Old English wicca “wizard”; witch ) + -ed -ed ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of wicked¹

C13: from dialect wick, from Old English wicca sorcerer, wicce _witch ¹

Example Sentences

He added that the murders, which took place on 11 July 2024, were "thoroughly wicked crimes".

Read more on BBC

They are "two of the lucky ones" who got convictions for the "wicked crime" which is "uncommon", the Labour MP said.

Read more on BBC

MacCallum challenged Mamdani’s past criticism of New York Police Department officers, whom he referred to as “racist” and “wicked” in social media posts.

Read more on Salon

Notwithstanding some clunky moments, Mr. Ansari not only engineers up-to-the-minute twists on the musty Hollywood angel movie, but decorates his story with clever dialogue and wicked observations about street-level existence in the City of Angels.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

His worst critics perceived this outlook as complacency, something insufficiently mordant for any writer of the long, wicked 20th century.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• devilish 
• evil 
• impish 
• mischievous 
• nasty 
• naughty 
• vicious 
• villainous 
• wayward 

When To Use

What are other ways to say wicked?

Someone or something wicked is morally bad in principle or practice. But calling someone or something wicked isn’t quite the same as calling them bad, evil, or ill. Find out why on Thesaurus.com.