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.
And at the same time, the consequences of such wickedness do not only affect their chosen targets.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
They all have a reason for the wickedness that they do.
From Slate ● Jan. 20, 2026
I looked back on core memories in my life that I had viewed as me being an indication of my weakness, my wickedness, my deal with the devil, so to speak.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2024
An independent review led by Richard Horwell QC, published in July 2017, concluded that: "It is human failings that brought about the collapse of the trial, not wickedness."
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2024
“That’s not the point. Saint Francis didn’t say,‘I’m going to punish you for all the wickedness you’ve done.’
From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer
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.
