EVIL Synonyms: 396 Similar and Opposite Words

evil 1 of 2

noun

Definition of evil

as in bad

that which is morally unacceptable our free will allows us to choose between good and evil

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

evil

2 of 2

adjective

ˈē-vəl

as in harmful

causing or capable of causing harm drank an evil potion

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 evil

Noun

Tis the season, a time to celebrate all things scary, spooky, and maybe even a little evil (complimentary). — Abby Gardner, Glamour, 30 Oct. 2026 Yet the film has established that the MacNeil home is suffused with evil. — Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026

Adjective

In Samo’s warped reality, omnipresent hornets gain an evil power, forcing him to confront his mother in what could turn into a brutal showdown. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2026 Every facet of India’s topography, from lush grasslands filled with antelopes to gnarled forests with tigers and evil spirits lurking around every corner, is on full display. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for evil

Recent Examples of Synonyms for evil

Noun

In addition to public goods, AI will also create public bads.

— James Broughel, Forbes.com, 8 June 2026
Naturally, the meeting is a flop because no one was prepared, and their spontaneous ideas are frankly fireable-offense bad (a baguette bag shaped like a baguette for Paris?

— Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025

Definition of bad

Adjective

If our minds are constantly running at full throttle, potentially harmful molecules might keep piling up faster than the brain can dispose of them.

— Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 4 Nov. 2026
Earth's ozone layer acts as a planetary sunscreen, shielding humans, animals, and plants from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

— Dan Peck, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of harmful

Adjective

Hollywood called out as immoral as studio puts paying viewers in charge of the screen.

— , FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Convince people that an innocent person represents an existential threat, furnish them with a frightening conspiracy theory about an immoral enemy, and some may become willing to kill.

— Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of immoral

Noun

Prosecutors said Clancy knew right from wrong and planned to strangle her children.

— Penny Kmitt, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
On Saturday Night Live, host Inde Navarrette and Marcello Hernández played two Spanish soap opera actors tasked with working a product placement into their scene, but end up getting each take wrong—dramatically so.

— William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of wrong

Adjective

Though Awawdeh was friendly, Jontay knew that he was connected to some dangerous associates, including the Gambino crime family in New York.

— New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2026
But the proliferation of inexpensive first-person-view (FPV) aerial drones has made this incredibly dangerous.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of dangerous

Adjective

Chrinos was charged with carrying a rifle outside a home or business, three counts of unlawful transportation of a firearm, three counts of unregistered firearms and three counts of unregistered ammunition, DHS said.

— Kyla Guilfoil, NBC news, 7 Nov. 2026
The department also wants to strengthen corporate oversight and deter unlawful applications.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of unlawful

Adjective

Everyone starts tasting the varied, apparently disgusting, bottles.

— Alice Burton, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2026
The third branch of government did its job, and that should be a welcome sight for all Americans given the disgusting and dangerous attacks on our democracy by the federal government.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of disgusting

Browse Nearby Words

evidently

evil

evildoer

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Style

“Evil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/evil. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of evil

noun

adjective

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