as in bad
that which is morally unacceptable
our free will allows us to choose between good and evil
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
drank an evil potion
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in immoral
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable
their evil deeds rank among the worst in history
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3
as in ugly
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
she refused to eat olives or anything which had their evil flavor
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of evil
Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Turning Returns Into Revenue Smart retailers view returns as an underused asset, not a necessary evil.
—Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
The celebrations culminated with a Chinese dragon dance, traditionally done to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck — which a new brand can always use.
—Violet Goldstone, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for evil
Noun
The Conjuring films often have a final shot that indicates the evil is never really dead.
—Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Turning Returns Into Revenue Smart retailers view returns as an underused asset, not a necessary evil.
—Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Was Judy Warren ever possessed by an evil spirit?
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
The celebrations culminated with a Chinese dragon dance, traditionally done to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck — which a new brand can always use.
—Violet Goldstone, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for evil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for evil
Noun
-
While working together on The Unit, David Mamet once told you that good drama isn’t a choice between good and bad; good drama is the choice between two bads.—
Max Gao,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Reports out of fall camp haven’t been super favorable to their offense, and while the defense will, again, be top-notch, a team with this bad of an offense cannot be trusted.—
Austin Mock,
The Athletic,
19 Aug. 2024
Adjective
-
According to a five-pillar plan shared with CNBC, Cruz also aims to create federal standards for AI, prevent AI from being used in harmful ways such as scams, allow free speech and address ethical concerns.—
Emily Wilkins,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Nonfiction narratives that students both read and produce serve as counter-narratives to the oppressive and harmful tropes in media more generally about Black girls and girlhood.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Ladapo said the decision was not reached according to the data, but instead on his view that vaccine mandates are immoral and outside the scope of the government’s authority.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Even the paper’s biggest triumph—which, without giving too much away, brings it into direct conflict with its toilet-paper stablemate—involves a farcically immoral compromise that tramples the church-state divide between news and product sales (and, worse, isn’t all that funny).—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This comes after Sunday's ugly loss to the Indianapolis Colts, a game that saw Hill catch just four passes for 40 yards.—
Drew VonScio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
-
That’s a hard reality to stomach for Giants fans, who had to watch their offense go 4-for-16 on third downs, pile up just 157 passing yards and finish with six points in an ugly loss to the Commanders.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
That justifies the team orders to right a wrong.—
Rob Reed,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Almost a quarter of a century has passed since the Republic of Ireland last featured in the finals of a World Cup, and the Boys In Green host Hungary on Saturday hoping to right that wrong.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Whatever happens in their final qualifier, against Argentina on Tuesday, La Tri will travel to the World Cup next summer as one of South America’s most dangerous teams.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
To dissidents, she has been seen as a hero putting her life on the line; to Modi’s supporters, as a dangerous subversive who is anti-national and anti-Hindu.—
Anderson Tepper,
The Atlantic,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Green, of Jackson Township, has been charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon in connection with Reid's death, according to Billhimer.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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The world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice, has ruled that there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza, and that Israel’s occupation and apartheid against Palestinians are unlawful.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This behavior is disgusting and they should be fired.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Sep. 2025
-
And yet … those conversations are also entertainingly provocative, and they’re accompanied by some of the scariest and most disgusting scenes the series has delivered up to now.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Evil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/evil. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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