as in bad
that which is morally unacceptable
our free will allows us to choose between good and evil
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
drank an evil potion
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ugly
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
she refused to eat olives or anything which had their evil flavor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
evil people
evil thoughts
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of evil
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 15 June 2025
She-Ra, Princess of Power, is getting her first-ever Barbie doll in celebration of her 40th year of fighting evil and saving the day.
—Angela Andaloro, People.com, 13 June 2025
Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 7 June 2025
These dedicated warriors certainly earn our admiration in the good/evil binary of the conflict, but complications help give the documentary shape, as in the attention given a crusty logger named Valdir, who agreed to be featured on camera.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for evil
Noun
The Holocaust was a nightmare come to life, an incarnation of evil that should never be allowed to repeat itself.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 15 June 2025
She-Ra, Princess of Power, is getting her first-ever Barbie doll in celebration of her 40th year of fighting evil and saving the day.
—Angela Andaloro, People.com, 13 June 2025
Adjective
While Disney hasn’t revealed Starfighter’s plot, THR adds that the film revolves around Gosling’s character protecting a young charge against evil pursuers, one of whom is Goth.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 7 June 2025
These dedicated warriors certainly earn our admiration in the good/evil binary of the conflict, but complications help give the documentary shape, as in the attention given a crusty logger named Valdir, who agreed to be featured on camera.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for evil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for evil
Noun
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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
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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
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Research has found that building roads can fragment habitats, disrupt ecosystems, and increase erosion and sediment pollution in drinking water, among other potentially harmful outcomes.—
Hayley Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2025
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Bezos' wedding splurge is seen as unnecessary and harmful by protesters.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
In the age of print, Hamburg was the birthplace of magazine publishing, and Paris the birthplace of the literary review and the gossip rag; but restless, immoral London was where the advice column first transformed people’s private lives into object lessons for ethical behavior.—
Merve Emre,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
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The film gathers immoral cops, ruthless women and corrupt politicians to complete the world of populist cinema based in hinterlands of India.—
Sweta Kaushal,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
Adjective
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My goodness, these men wanted to win the U.S. Open with every bit of their being, to finally win a major championship and make this ugly, rainy day worth the battles behind them.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
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If his bat is slipping as well, that will be an ugly contract for the Giants.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
With Section 899, Republicans are trying to test the truism about two wrongs not making a right.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
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The plan must also force Israel to stop its bulldozing of buildings, seizure of Palestinian lands, and creation of ever-more Jewish settlements in the West Bank—and pay full reparations for all of these enormous wrongs.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
And here, the country is experiencing a profound—and dangerous—shift.—
ASHLEY J. TELLIS,
Foreign Affairs,
17 June 2025
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He was found guilty of corruption, and he should have been considered a dangerous criminal.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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Nonetheless, this latest ruling may embolden such plaintiffs in California and elsewhere to assert unlawful discrimination claims with greater confidence and, perhaps, greater frequency.—
Dan Eaton,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 June 2025
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She was convicted in 1995 on nine charges, including conspiracy to remove body parts and unlawful authorization of the removal of eyes, hearts, lungs and brains from corpses.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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All the juicy — and disgusting — details of each inspection can be found in a PDF embedded under each restaurant’s entry.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
15 June 2025
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War is disgusting, and that extraordinary chapter, which concluded what was undoubtedly the most terrible war in history, provides no exception ...—
Charles C. W. Cooke,
National Review,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Evil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/evil. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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