wickedness

noun

ˈwi-kəd-nəs How to pronounce wickedness (audio)
Definition of wickednessnext
1
as in mischief
playful, reckless behavior that is not intended to cause serious harm a couple of live wires who got into all kinds of wickedness during their vacation in Las Vegas

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sinfulness
the state or quality of being utterly evil the movie featured a villain of unadulterated wickedness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wickedness An opinion offered offhand suggests a secret wickedness that must be exorcised. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026 Pearl revels in wickedness, presenting a literary world in which a successful writer’s haughtiness is both encouraged and rewarded. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025 Given that Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) has given the town of Oz the illusion that Glinda is the force of good magic protecting them from Elphaba's wickedness, the bubble — which is operated by foot pedal — allows Glinda to appear magical. — Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025 The crucial role of the broomstick in the Wicked movies—and earlier Wizard of Oz stories—reflects a long history of women’s mobility being connected to perceptions of wickedness, as women reclaimed a tool of domestic labor to gain both physical and social liberation. — Time, 21 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wickedness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wickedness
  1. mischief
  2. sinfulness
  3. playfulness
  4. badness
  5. atrocity
  6. evilness
Noun
  • That sense of mischief and adventure lives on in everything Richard Lloyd ever played — and that’s why his guiding light still shines on.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2026
  • An adrenaline junkie, spendthrift and incorrigible mischief-maker, Daniel arrives with his younger wife Ayesha and becomes the weekend’s most disruptive presence.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of mischief
Noun
  • But soon after, in Genesis 18, God tells Abraham of plans to investigate reports of sinfulness in Sodom and Gomorrah.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
  • Denver author Josiah Hesse was raised by Evangelical parents in churches that believe in the torments of hell, that their poverty is due to their sinfulness and lack of faith.
    — Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
Definition of sinfulness
Noun
  • Wang said Pop Mart’s task today is not only to sell a collectible but to preserve a sense of playfulness that people can carry into adult life.
    — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Then writing became my job in my mid-20s, and that professionalism wore away any playfulness that was left in reading.
    — Maggie Shipstead, Longreads, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of playfulness
Noun
  • But, as part of a meticulous reconstruction of a type of eatery known for mediocre food, does its badness actually count as a mark of success?
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Leaping around in time, Gilroy draws us into Alex’s world with an effervescent wink at the badness of his behavior.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of badness
Noun
  • Even the worst atrocity has its rightful place and is necessary to the scheme of things, even adding to the beauty.
    — Artforum, Artforum, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Today, 80 years on, survivors who witnessed the atrocities that Marie-Claude so meticulously put before the court — and the watching world — are sadly dwindling in number.
    — Natalie Livingstone, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of atrocity
Noun
  • That was really what helped me into the character and into her evilness.
    — William Earl, Variety, 4 Oct. 2025
Definition of evilness

Browse Nearby Words

wickedly
wickedness
wicket
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wickedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wickedness. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All