Etymology
Origin of wickedness
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at wicked, -ness
Explanation
Wickedness goes way past being naughty or mischievous; it means a quality of true evil. In an old spy movie, the villain might reveal his wickedness by cackling with delight while carrying out dastardly plans. A tyrant's cruel treatment of citizens is evidence of wickedness, while literary antagonists like Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth and Voldemort from the Harry Potter series display their wickedness through many vicious actions. Wickedness and wicked come from a now-obsolete adjective, wick, meaning "bad or false," and an Old English root it shares with wizard and witch.
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.
When Ramsey failed to arrive for breakfast it soon became apparent what wickedness had taken place overnight.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
To Assad, a member of the department, its purpose is “to get justice, help put things right for victims, and keep the wickedness of the world at bay.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
They all have a reason for the wickedness that they do.
From Slate ● Jan. 20, 2026
Good is not assured victory over evil in Shakespeare, though wickedness sets in motion those forces that will hasten the end of its ride.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2025
For a boy just turning seventeen, she maintained, the important thing was to keep him sequestered from “the wickedness of the state university.”
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
