evil

1 of 3

adjective

ˈē-vəl How to pronounce evil (audio)
 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 How to pronounce evil (audio)
 British often and US sometimes  ˈē-(ˌ)vi(l)-
adverb
evilness
ˈē-vəl-nəs How to pronounce evil (audio)
 British often and US sometimes  ˈē-(ˌ)vil-
noun

evil

2 of 3

noun

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 3

adverb

archaic
: in an evil manner

Examples of evil in a Sentence

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
Adjective
The theories range from a mechanical malfunction to evil foul play by the pilot and even some broader political conspiracy. Greg Palkot, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2024 The town’s evil patriarch is Lou’s father, Lou, Sr. (Ed Harris), who owns the gym and the gun range, and also, essentially, the police department. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2024 On October 29, Netanyahu invoked the Amalek, a Biblical term that conjures an evil enemy that is to be destroyed down to the last ox and sheep. Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024 Her newfound power brings her in contact with three young girls (Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced and Celeste O’Connor) who are being hunted by an evil explorer. Zack Sharf, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024 Wright plays Elodie’s evil mother-in-law, Queen Isabelle. Tatiana Tenreyro, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 The suspects allegedly held the child down for seven hours while forcing the child to throw up in an attempt to rid the child of the evil spirit, the news station reported. Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 29 Feb. 2024 Others in Indonesia pierced their faces with needles—a practice said to ward off evil spirits. TIME, 24 Feb. 2024 Salem also portrayed the evil sorceress Belor on the 1981-82 ITV kids series Into the Labyrinth and the organized crime family member Joanne Francis on the BBC soap Eastenders for two seasons (1988-89). Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
Expect lots of martial-arts action (both one-on-one and group fighting), including sometimes-intense scenes of widespread destruction and coercion and characters having their powers stolen to be used for evil. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Be sure to put in the necessary work to avoid celebrating the lesser of two evils. Rory Holland, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 The belief in leprechauns stems from Celtic ideas of fairies, tiny men and women who could use their powers for good or evil, according to History.com. Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2024 These stories twist fertility clinics into dens of evil, and that choice lands differently now that conservative lawmakers are hammering the same themes. Amanda Hess, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Villeneuve’s film is far better at showing the more obvious violence of imperial power and staging a more familiar and basic battle between good and evil. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024 The season emulates the 40 days Jesus spent fasting and avoiding the temptations of evil in the desert, as mentioned in the Bible. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 21 Feb. 2024 The alternative, of allowing Wine and Kyagulanyi to travel to Los Angeles and other cities, including London (where the film was nominated for a BAFTA), must have seemed the lesser of two evils. Susan Orlean, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2024 In this virtual world, players could transform into pixelated avatars, embark on adventures, and forge friendships, all while battling against the forces of evil. David Moon (junseo Moon), Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'evil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of evil was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near evil

Cite this Entry

“Evil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evil. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

evil

1 of 2 adjective
eviler or eviller; evilest or evillest
1
: morally bad : wicked
2
a
: causing harm : tending to injure
b
: marked by misfortune
evil days
evilly adverb

evil

2 of 2 noun
1
: something that brings sorrow, trouble, or destruction
2
: the fact of suffering or wrongdoing

More from Merriam-Webster on evil

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