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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evil

2 of 2

adjective

ˈē-vəl

as in harmful

causing or capable of causing harm drank an evil potion

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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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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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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

Her work on the problem of evil was the search for an account that would undermine its appeal as something grand, maleficent, and terrifyingly sublime. — Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026 Early in the outbreak, Tedros talked about having visited the outbreak zone and being struck by the fact that many people seemed to view Ebola as a lesser of evils. — Helen Branswell, STAT, 16 Sep. 2026

Adjective

In our conversations, his usual framing was about good and evil, not catastrophically warped thinking. — Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026 Those women were just called monsters, they were called evil, they were called unthinkable. — Jaha Nailah Avery, Vulture, 11 Sep. 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

Harry is known for speaking out in high-profile campaigns about the harmful impact of technology on young people.

— Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026
Too often, environmental advocates insist on the elimination of poaching, logging, and other harmful activities while remaining wholly unfamiliar with the factors at play that lead to predation, neglect, and abuse of nature.

— Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of harmful

Adjective

In 2022, the Dolphins were mired in a five-game losing streak late in the season and somehow found a way to scratch out an ugly victory against the New York Jets, 11-6, in the finale to earn a wildcard playoff berth.

— Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
As climate change continues to rear its ugly head, this summer has been particularly brutal for much of the planet.

— Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of ugly

Noun

Joe Alt, who was called for a hold that resulted in a safety on an anything-that-can-go-wrong-will-go-wrong Sunday.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
With quarterback Cooper Rush set to start his second straight game, the Falcons are looking to right some of the wrongs from the Pittsburgh matchup, where Rush was dealing with back issues and struggled to get the offense going.

— AJC.com, AJC.com, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of wrong

Adjective

Wickline came on as an increasingly flustered Anthropic CEO, Dario Amodei, who’s explaining why AI is dangerous without taking any responsibility for that.

— Rima Parikh, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2026
The slow-moving storm, which killed a New York City housing authority worker when a tree fell Saturday, was expected to linger through Sunday with heavy rain, strong winds and dangerous surf all the way to New England.

— Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of dangerous

Adjective

Legacy admissions hasn’t been declared unlawful under the tax code, and an admissions preference doesn’t prove a donation purchased admission.

— Jayson Weingarten, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026
Owen McIntire, 20, of Parkville, faces one count of malicious destruction of property and one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device for the March 2025 incident.

— Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of unlawful

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evidently

evil

evildoer

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Style

“Evil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/evil. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of evil

noun

adjective

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