wicked 1 of 2

adjective

ˈwi-kəd How to pronounce wicked (audio)
Definition of wickednext
1
as in evil
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable a wicked urge to steal just for the sake of stealing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness a wicked grin on his face when he said that

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses rotting eggs create a truly wicked stench caused a rash with a wicked itch

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in dangerous
causing or capable of causing harm a wicked insult that deeply hurt his self-esteem for many years

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

wicked

2 of 2

adverb

as in extremely
to a great degree we were wicked excited when our team finally won the pennant after so many years

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 wicked
Adjective
His strike took a wicked deflection off Lewis Brunt, and the ball looped beyond the helpless Callum Burton. — James Pearce, New York Times, 30 July 2026 Alli Logout of the punk band Special Interest and rising pop producer Margo XS join forces on a club record whose messy hedonism is matched only by its wicked sense of humor. — Cameron Cook, Pitchfork, 29 July 2026 And then head coach Kyle Shanahan was in a wicked car crash, and suddenly the most important man in the building is sidelined until further notice. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 25 July 2026 Grass skirts fly as women perform the wicked-fast Tahitian Otea dance, and the audience holds its breath during the Samoan fire knife performance. — Tracey Teo, AJC.com, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for wicked
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wicked
  1. evil
  2. mischievous
  3. unpleasant
  4. dangerous
  5. extremely
  6. sinful
  7. playful
  8. harsh
Adjective
  • Presumably everybody wants the evidence to hold people who commit serious crimes accountable, but nobody wants to turn into the evil empire in the process.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Her parents refuse to see that there is something unnatural about their new baby boy and that an evil other presence haunts their stately home.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of evil
Adjective
  • Paramount Great Again hat, but didn’t expect the mischievous executive to turn up in Edinburgh wearing the headgear.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Reports from across the UK show the mischievous character lurking outside windows and startling passersby.
    — Gina Park, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of mischievous
Adjective
  • Activewear After sweating it out in your beloved activewear, avoid using the hotter temperatures in the washing machine to sanitize and remove unpleasant odors.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The mediocre screen was an unpleasant surprise given that this thing advertised 100 percent sRGB gamut coverage when it was announced and on its product page for many weeks (the Internet Archive captures it here).
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • Heaping credit onto Espada is dangerous, but so is blaming him for every game that goes awry.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • That’s a dangerous prospect for any country, but especially for Singapore, crammed into a space smaller than New York City.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of dangerous
Adverb
  • This pre-seasoned, ¼ inch thick steel heat extremely evenly with minimal disparity between the center and edges.
    — Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Search for jet quenching Previous experiments suggest that a millionth of a second after the Big Bang, even as temperatures remained extremely high, matter did not behave like gas but instead like liquid with very low viscosity.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of extremely
Adjective
  • My prescribed low-carb, caffeine-free diet sounded horrifying on paper, but my sinful pleasures were replaced with a tasty, high-quality, and healthy alternative that left me more energized.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026
  • Critics also have challenged the report’s characterization of cases involving women, contending these were consensual affairs that were sinful but not abusive.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 June 2026
Definition of sinful
Adjective
  • For good measure, Pabst’s social media updates took a tongue-in-cheek approach that may have actually convinced people the posts were more playful than actual pleas for help.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The world went in, and pliant, playful interpretations flowed out.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of playful
Adjective
  • Scott London Every year, Black Rock City appears on a dry lakebed in one of Nevada’s harshest areas, then disappears just as fast.
    — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Hig has bunkered down with a grouchy companion, Bangley (Josh Brolin), who thrives in this harsh world.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of harsh

Browse Nearby Words

whys
wicked
wickedly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wicked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wicked. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All