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Synonyms

wicked

American  
[wik-id] / ˈwɪk ɪd /

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 British  
/ ˈwɪkɪd /

adjective

    1. morally bad in principle or practice

    2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the wicked

  1. mischievous or roguish, esp in a playful way

    a wicked grin

  2. causing injury or harm

  3. troublesome, unpleasant, or offensive

  4. slang very good

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of wicked

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

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.

Over a fingerpicked progression, he begins with “To pretend that everything will be just fine / That any wicked problem will dissolve over time.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“How wicked is that, to love someone who should be my enemy, who has just bombed my city, killed my friends? How wicked is that?”

From Literature

Why should the Spirit help the clans, when some among them had been so wicked?

From Literature

He thought it was completely rational to tether me to some man before my wicked acts came to light.

From Literature

"The lies are so deep and so wicked that not a thing can be believed that came out of his mouth," Cherkasky said in his closing statements, calling Saxon "a professional victim".

From BBC