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British

wicked

[ wik-id ]

/ ˈwɪk ɪd /

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See synonyms for: wicked / wickedly on Thesaurus.com

adjective, wick·ed·er, wick·ed·est.

evil or morally bad in principle or practice; sinful; iniquitous: wicked people;wicked habits.

mischievous or playfully malicious: These wicked kittens upset everything.

distressingly severe, as a storm, wound, or cold: a wicked winter.

passing reasonable bounds; intolerably bad: wicked prices;a wicked exam.

having a bad disposition; ill-natured; mean: a wicked horse.

spiteful; malevolent; vicious: a wicked tongue.

extremely troublesome or dangerous: wicked roads.

unpleasant; foul: a wicked odor.

Slang. wonderful; great; masterful; deeply satisfying: He blows a wicked trumpet.

adverb

Slang. very; really; totally: That shirt is wicked cool.

OTHER WORDS FOR wicked

1 unrighteous, ungodly, godless, impious, profane, blasphemous; immoral, profligate, corrupt, depraved, dissolute; heinous; infamous, villainous.

See synonyms for wicked on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR wicked

1 good, virtuous.

See antonyms for wicked on Thesaurus.com

VIDEO FOR WICKED

Is There A Difference Between East Coast And West Coast Slang?

Is there a difference between east coast slang and west coast slang? The short answer: yes. Take a look.

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QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of wicked

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English wikked, equivalent to wikke “bad” (representing adjective use of Old English wicca “wizard”; cf. witch) + -ed -ed³

OTHER WORDS FROM wicked

wick·ed·ly, adverbqua·si-wick·ed, adjectivequa·si-wick·ed·ly, adverbun·wick·ed, adjective

un·wick·ed·ly, adverb

Words nearby wicked

Wicca, Wiccan, Wichita, Wichita Falls, wick, wicked, wickedness, wicken, wicker, wickerwork, wicket

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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.

How to use wicked in a sentence

There are wicked reminders, for instance, of her acid humor.
Joan Didion’s ‘Let Me Tell You What I Mean’ shows a writer ahead of her time|Charles Arrowsmith|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
Revisiting historical debates about the Fairness Doctrine can help us think through these wicked problems.
The Fairness Doctrine won’t solve our problems — but it can foster needed debate|Victor Pickard|February 4, 2021|Washington Post
The player then traverses a gorgeously-rendered landscape and solves a series of wicked little puzzles in a heart-wrenching reunification quest.
The 10 Best Video Games of 2020|Alex Fitzpatrick|November 20, 2020|Time
In fact, if you go back even further, a pollster named Elmo Roper found that 47 percent of Americans found sexual relations for young people before marriage to be “wicked” back in 1939.
1 in 4 Americans Still Oppose Premarital Sex|Sean Braswell|October 24, 2020|Ozy

Both tell the stories of doomed criminals trying to make their way in a wicked world.
The Best Single-Player Video Games to Play Right Now|Matthew Gault|March 9, 2020|Time
He once experimented with dressing as “Hilda the Wicked Witch” as a way to expand his business to Halloween.
Kerry Bentivolio: The Congressman Who Believes in Santa Claus|Ben Jacobs|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Wicked William,” as he was known, made short work of her fortune.
The Secrets of Britain’s Wildest Aristocrats|Tom Sykes|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
MacDonald saw a lot that day, including gold candlesticks, the Kingdom of Heaven, and lots of violent judgment for the wicked.
The Rapture: The Theological Idea That Inspired ‘The Leftovers’|Matthew Paul Turner|July 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The film lets her unspoiled beauty speak the so-called “wicked” truth: for Ellen, abortion was the best choice.
Why Deny the Obvious: Hollywood’s Backward Stance on Abortion|Teo Bugbee|June 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The original trailer even opens with her confession and defense of the abortion: “Sometimes the truth is wicked.”
Why Deny the Obvious: Hollywood’s Backward Stance on Abortion|Teo Bugbee|June 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is then we make him our friend, which sets us above the envy and contempt of wicked men.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
The bear watched him narrowly with its wicked little eyes, though it did not see fit to cease its paw-licking.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
O wicked presumption, whence camest thou to cover the earth with thy malice, and deceitfulness?
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
No sooner was the ceremony over than the wicked count ordered her to present herself at the castle.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
I ushered you into this wicked world, young man, and a nice use you seem to have made of your time.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling

British Dictionary definitions for wicked

wicked

/ (ˈwɪkɪd) /

adjective

morally bad in principle or practice
(as collective noun; preceded by the)the wicked

mischievous or roguish, esp in a playful waya wicked grin

causing injury or harm

troublesome, unpleasant, or offensive

slang very good

Derived forms of wicked

wickedly, adverbwickedness, noun

Word Origin for wicked

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

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