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
Think of it as Action painting’s evil twin: creation as slow, oozy accumulation. Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024 Nonetheless, there’s a lot here to chew on, along with many fine performances to relish, including particularly by Carradine and the incredibly evil McShane. Barry Garron, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2024 Forty years ago, four men put on uniforms, came up with a catchy logo — a startled specter in a red circle with a slash going through it, no big whoop — strapped on some proton packs and saved New York City from an evil deity holed up in a penthouse. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024 However, my youngest expressed a momentary bout of fear while attempting to go to bed, about the film's main antagonist, Zuul—the creepy, dog-like demon with red-eyes who is a minion of the evil Gozer. Kristina Behr, Parents, 21 Mar. 2024 The creativity of Detroiters takes center stage with eccentric garb aimed to scare away any sightings of the evil hobgoblin. Detroit Free Press, 20 Mar. 2024 The woman scratches him in the face and everyone on the dance floor appears to turn into an evil creatures with all-white eyes. Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 But how shall the evil miller pay for the windmill repairs impacted by the delusional virtue signalers? Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024 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
Noun
The holiday commemorates a time for rebirth and the triumph of good over evil at the beginning of spring. Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024 But soon, cruisers won’t have to choose between good and evil as Disney Cruise Line just announced its new ship: Disney Destiny. Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 21 Mar. 2024 He’s known for a wearing a monkey mask in the ring, which doubles as a tribute to Hanuman, the Hindu deity who once led an army of simians against the ancient forced of evil. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2024 Related Stories Azrael The Bottom Line Speak no evil. Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024 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

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 28 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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