evil
1 of 3adjective
ˈē-vəl 
British often and US sometimes ˈē-(ˌ)vil
eviler or eviller; evilest or evillest
1
a
: morally reprehensible : sinful, wicked
an evil impulse
b
: arising from actual or imputed bad character or conduct
a person of evil reputation
2
a
archaic : inferior
b
: causing discomfort or repulsion : offensive
an evil odor
c
: disagreeable
woke late and in an evil temper
3
a
: causing harm : pernicious
the evil institution of slavery
b
: marked by misfortune : unlucky
evilly
ˈē-və(l)-lē
adverb British often and US sometimes ˈē-(ˌ)vi(l)-
evilness
ˈē-vəl-nəs
noun British often and US sometimes ˈē-(ˌ)vil-
evil
2 of 3noun
1
a
: the fact of suffering, misfortune, and wrongdoing
b
: a cosmic evil force
2
: something that brings sorrow, distress, or calamity
evil
3 of 3adverb
archaic
: in an evil manner
Synonyms
Adjective
- adverse
- bad
- baleful
- baneful
- damaging
- dangerous
- deleterious
- detrimental
- harmful
- hurtful
- ill
- injurious
- mischievous
- nocuous
- noxious
- pernicious
- prejudicial
- wicked
Noun
- bad
- evildoing
- ill
- immorality
- iniquity
- sin
- villainy
- wrong
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective She drank an evil potion. The city has fallen on evil days. It was an evil omen. Noun the battle of good versus evil our free will allows us to choose between good and evil
Recent Examples on the Web
Thilo Stöferle, Ars Technica, 18 July 2017 John Robert Lindsey made a properly evil Monostatos (a dead ringer for the vampire Nosferatu), accompanied by terrifying dogs rather than slaves. Janelle Gelfand, Cincinnati.com, 16 July 2017 The Nazis and the Holocaust truly show the entire scope of humanity, at its most evil and its most resilient. The Editors, Smithsonian, 2 May 2017 Pamina has the short bob hairdo of flapper-era star Louise Brooks, the birdcatcher is a Buster Keaton-style Papageno and the evil Monostatos reminds of Nosferatu. Janelle Gelfand, Cincinnati.com, 6 July 2017 The Master's return isn't blockbuster enough for me, even with the good versus evil Superman III undertones in his cheeky exchanges with Missy. Kelly Fiveash, Ars Technica, 3 July 2017 Well, not evil, really, but more bureaucratic, legalistic b.s. Aaron Pressman, Fortune, 30 June 2017 The show unites Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and Iron Fist (Finn Jones) to battle the Hand, a band of evil mystical ninjas. Pacific, Pacific San Diego Magazine, 15 June 2017 Here, Goron is summoned by his king to fight evil forces threatening their kingdom. Redbook, 10 May 2017 Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2022 Circulating this essay, David summarized, Tolkien knew that the grasp for ultimate power meant that the contest between good and evil would be transformed into a contest between evils. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 6 Sep. 2022 One of his nightly shows recently presented the war as a kind of cosmic showdown between good and evil. New York Times, 21 Aug. 2022 In the confusion of postwar Germany, Petersen — who started out in theater before attending Berlin’s Film and Television Academy in the late 1960s — gravitated toward Hollywood films with clear clashes of good and evil. Jake Coyle, ajc, 16 Aug. 2022 In the confusion of postwar Germany, Petersen — who started out in theater before attending Berlin’s Film and Television Academy in the late 1960s — gravitated toward Hollywood films with clear clashes of good and evil. Jake Coyle, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2022 This epic struggle between good and evil comes to life on stage in this musical based on the classic story by Robert Louis Stevenson. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 15 Aug. 2022 Like many horror movies, Bodies, Bodies, Bodiesseeks to make a broader statement about good and evil. Keely Weiss, ELLE, 12 Aug. 2022 The Silmarillion tells a number of epic tales set in Middle-earth and surrounding regions, all of which deal with the fight between good and evil. Emma Dibdin, Town & Country, 7 Aug. 2022 See More
Adjective
But remember: Bose–Einstein condensates are not evil. Thilo Stöferle, Ars Technica, 18 July 2017 John Robert Lindsey made a properly evil Monostatos (a dead ringer for the vampire Nosferatu), accompanied by terrifying dogs rather than slaves. Janelle Gelfand, Cincinnati.com, 16 July 2017 The Nazis and the Holocaust truly show the entire scope of humanity, at its most evil and its most resilient. The Editors, Smithsonian, 2 May 2017 Pamina has the short bob hairdo of flapper-era star Louise Brooks, the birdcatcher is a Buster Keaton-style Papageno and the evil Monostatos reminds of Nosferatu. Janelle Gelfand, Cincinnati.com, 6 July 2017 The Master's return isn't blockbuster enough for me, even with the good versus evil Superman III undertones in his cheeky exchanges with Missy. Kelly Fiveash, Ars Technica, 3 July 2017 Well, not evil, really, but more bureaucratic, legalistic b.s. Aaron Pressman, Fortune, 30 June 2017 The show unites Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and Iron Fist (Finn Jones) to battle the Hand, a band of evil mystical ninjas. Pacific, Pacific San Diego Magazine, 15 June 2017 Here, Goron is summoned by his king to fight evil forces threatening their kingdom. Redbook, 10 May 2017 Noun
Highsmith specialized in characters who were beyond good and evil. Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2022 Circulating this essay, David summarized, Tolkien knew that the grasp for ultimate power meant that the contest between good and evil would be transformed into a contest between evils. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 6 Sep. 2022 One of his nightly shows recently presented the war as a kind of cosmic showdown between good and evil. New York Times, 21 Aug. 2022 In the confusion of postwar Germany, Petersen — who started out in theater before attending Berlin’s Film and Television Academy in the late 1960s — gravitated toward Hollywood films with clear clashes of good and evil. Jake Coyle, ajc, 16 Aug. 2022 In the confusion of postwar Germany, Petersen — who started out in theater before attending Berlin’s Film and Television Academy in the late 1960s — gravitated toward Hollywood films with clear clashes of good and evil. Jake Coyle, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2022 This epic struggle between good and evil comes to life on stage in this musical based on the classic story by Robert Louis Stevenson. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 15 Aug. 2022 Like many horror movies, Bodies, Bodies, Bodiesseeks to make a broader statement about good and evil. Keely Weiss, ELLE, 12 Aug. 2022 The Silmarillion tells a number of epic tales set in Middle-earth and surrounding regions, all of which deal with the fight between good and evil. Emma Dibdin, Town & Country, 7 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English, from Old English yfel; akin to Old High German ubil evil
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adverb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing evil
Kids Definition
evil 1 of 2
adjective
ˈē-vəl
1
: morally bad : wicked
an evil influence
2
: causing harm : tending to injure
an evil spell
evil
2 of 2noun
1
: something that brings sorrow, trouble, or destruction
the evils of poverty
2
: the fact of suffering or wrongdoing
We must rid the world of evil.
3
: bad behavior or moral state : wickedness
… Mr. Lapham had discovered the evil that had gone on in his absence … Esther Forbes, Johnny Tremain
Esther Forbes, Johnny Tremainevilly
adverb
as in wickedly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- wickedly
- sinfully
- obscenely
- vulgarly
- indecently
- lasciviously
- lewdly
- immorally
- lustfully
- impurely
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- innocently
- morally
- righteously
- virtuously
- modestly
- purely
- chastely
- properly
- decently
- decorously
- primly
- prudishly
- priggishly