Evil is a powerful force that some people believe to exist, and which causes wicked and bad things to happen.
We are still being attacked by the forces of evil.
There's always a conflict between good and evil in his plays.
Synonyms: wickedness, bad, wrong, vice More Synonyms of evil
2. uncountable noun
Evil is used to refer to all the wicked and bad things that happen in the world.
He could not, after all, stop all the evil in the world.
...those who see television as the root of all evil.
Synonyms: harm, suffering, pain, hurt More Synonyms of evil
3. countable noun
If you refer to an evil, you mean a very unpleasant or harmful situation or activity.
Higher taxes may be a necessary evil.
...a lecture on the evils of alcohol. [+ of]
4. adjective
If you describe someone as evil, you mean that they are very wicked by nature and take pleasure in doing things that harm other people.
...the country's most evil terrorists.
She's an evil woman.
Synonyms: wicked, bad, wrong, corrupt More Synonyms of evil
5. adjective
If you describe something as evil, you mean that you think it causes a great deal of harm to people and is morally bad.
After 1760 few Americans refrained from condemning slavery as evil.
They are setting an evil example for their children.
6. adjective
If you describe something as evil, you mean that you think it is influenced by the devil.
I think this is an evil spirit at work.
According to local folklore it is an evil place.
7. adjective
You can describe a very unpleasant smell as evil.
Both men were smoking evil-smelling pipes.
8.
See the evil day/hour
9.
See the lesser of two evils
More Synonyms of evil
evil in British English
(ˈiːvəl)
adjective
1.
morally wrong or bad; wicked
an evil ruler
2.
causing harm or injury; harmful
an evil plan
3.
marked or accompanied by misfortune; unlucky
an evil fate
4.
(of temper, disposition, etc) characterized by anger or spite
5.
not in high esteem; infamous
an evil reputation
6.
offensive or unpleasant
an evil smell
7. slang
good; excellent
noun
8.
the quality or an instance of being morally wrong; wickedness
the evils of war
9. (sometimes capital)
a force or power that brings about wickedness or harm
evil is strong in the world
10. archaic
an illness or disease, esp scrofula (the king's evil)
adverb
11. (now usually in combination)
in an evil manner; badly
evil-smelling
Derived forms
evilly (ˈevilly)
adverb
evilness (ˈevilness)
noun
Word origin
Old English yfel, of Germanic origin; compare Old Frisian evel, Old High German ubil evil, Old Irish adbal excessive
evil in American English
(ˈivəl)
adjective
1.
a.
morally bad or wrong; wicked; depraved
b.
resulting from or based on conduct regarded as immoral
an evil reputation
2.
causing pain or trouble; harmful; injurious
3.
offensive or disgusting
an evil odor
4.
threatening or bringing misfortune; unlucky; disastrous; unfortunate
an evil hour
5.
angry, irritable, disagreeable, etc.
in an evil mood
adverb
6.
in an evil, wicked, or offensive way
now only in hyphenated compounds
evil-hearted
noun
7.
anything morally bad or wrong; wickedness; depravity; sin
8.
anything that causes harm, pain, misery, disaster, etc.
SIMILAR WORDS: bad
Idioms:
the Evil One
Derived forms
evilly (ˈevilly)
adverb
evilness (ˈevilness)
noun
Word origin
ME ivel < OE yfel, akin to Ger übel < IE *upelo- < base *upo-, up from under > up1, Sans upa, toward
More idioms containing
evil
put off the evil day
money is the root of all evil
Examples of 'evil' in a sentence
evil
Thank goodness some of the perpetrators have been discovered and their evil plans thwarted.
The Sun (2016)
But there are some moments in life when you have to stand up and defend your honour against the evil in this world.
The Sun (2016)
He was just pure evil.
The Sun (2016)
Another 20 per cent are pessimists - who find themselves opting for the lesser of two evils.
The Sun (2016)
Tagline There's something evil hiding in the woods.
The Sun (2016)
THE blind Jedi warrior monk fights against the evil Empire using his staff and martial arts skills.
The Sun (2016)
Electronic media is a tool that can be used for great evil - the balance would be: the real risk that evidence of that can be recovered.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
To revisit such evil upon these people.
Iain Gale Man of Honour (2007)
They know now beyond the shadow of a doubt that such a thing as evil exists.
Christianity Today (2000)
What could possess an individual or group to do something so very evil?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
We knew that something secret was happening that was evil.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
They cross their fingers and swiftly spit over their shoulders as charms against my evil eye.
Travers, P L What the Bee Knows - reflections on myth, symbol and story (1989)
Wolves may consider that the lesser of two evils.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We are dealing with pure evil here.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The web is a very powerful tool and it can be used for good or evil.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It was an evil but simple plan.
Aidan Hartley THE ZANZIBAR CHEST: A Memoir of Love and War (2003)
You have released all the evils of the world into your life.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The story of the evil king is embedded in our national mythology.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They were horrendous crimes committed by evil people.
The Sun (2015)
You helped topple the evil empire.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You have to discover how to be good by being not evil, but bad.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
All this is an unsettling misuse of the music, which was meant to convey the battle with a supernatural force of evil.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Quotations
So farewell hope, and with hope farewell fear, Farewell remorse: all good to me is lost; Evil be thou my GoodJohn MiltonParadise Lost
Evil be to him who evil thinks (Honi soit qui mal y pense)Motto of the Order of the Garter
What we call evil is simply ignorance bumping its head in the darkHenry Ford
The evil that men do lives after themWilliam ShakespeareJulius Caesar
Evil alone has oil for every wheelEdna St. Vincent MillayMine the Harvest
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereofBible: St. Matthew
Choose the lesser of two evils
See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil
In other languages
evil
British English: evil /ˈiːvl/ ADJECTIVE
If an act or a person is evil, they are morally very bad.
Who's the most evil person in all of history?
American English: evil
Arabic: شَرِير
Brazilian Portuguese: mau
Chinese: 邪恶的
Croatian: zao
Czech: zlý
Danish: ond
Dutch: boosaardig
European Spanish: malvado
Finnish: paha
French: malveillant
German: böse
Greek: μοχθηρός
Italian: malvagio
Japanese: 悪い
Korean: 사악한
Norwegian: ond
Polish: zły nikczemność
European Portuguese: mau
Romanian: rău
Russian: злой
Latin American Spanish: malvado
Swedish: ond
Thai: ชั่วร้าย
Turkish: kötücül
Ukrainian: злий
Vietnamese: ác
British English: evil NOUN
Evil is a powerful force that some people believe to exist, and which causes wicked and bad things to happen.
There's always a conflict between good and evil in his plays.
American English: evil
Brazilian Portuguese: mal
Chinese: 恶
European Spanish: mal
French: mal
German: Böse
Italian: male
Japanese: 邪悪
Korean: 악
European Portuguese: mal
Latin American Spanish: mal
All related terms of 'evil'
evil eye
Some people believe that the evil eye is a magical power to cast a spell on someone or something by looking at them, so that bad things happen to them.
Evil One
→ the Evil One
evil twin
a hidden wireless internet access point operating near a legitimate one, used by cybercriminals to divert sensitive information such as account numbers and passwords
evil-minded
inclined to evil thoughts; wicked ; malicious or spiteful
evil spirit
a malevolent presence
king's evil
→ scrofula
social evil
anything detrimental to a society or its citizens , as alcoholism , organized crime , etc
evil-smelling
having an very offensive smell
axis of evil
North Korea , Iraq , and Iran when considered together as a perceived threat to world stability
the Evil One
the devil ; Satan
the king's evil
tuberculosis of the lymphatic glands
evildoer
If you describe someone as an evildoer , you mean that they are wicked , and that they deliberately cause harm or suffering to others.
the evil day/hour
If someone is putting off the evil day or the evil hour , they have to do something unpleasant and are trying to avoid doing it for as long as possible.
falling sickness
→ epilepsy
put off the evil day
to delay doing something unpleasant for as long as possible
the lesser of two evils the lesser evil
If you have two choices , but think that they are both bad , you can describe the one which is less bad as the lesser of two evils , or the lesser evil .
money is the root of all evil
said to mean that greed is the cause of a particular problem or the cause of society's problems in general
tree of knowledge of good and evil
the tree in the Garden of Eden bearing the forbidden fruit that Adam and Eve ate, thus incurring loss of primal innocence ( Genesis 2:9; 3:2–7)
tree of knowledge
the tree whose fruit Adam and Eve tasted in disobedience of God: Gen . 2, 3
Chinese translation of 'evil'
evil
(ˈiːvl)
adj
[person, system]邪恶(惡)的 (xié'è de)
n
(u) (= wickedness) 邪恶(惡) (xié'è)
(c) (= curse, scourge) 祸(禍)害 (huòhai)
the evils of alcohol酗酒的害处(處) (xùjiǔ de hàichu)
a necessary evil不可避免的邪恶(惡) (bùkě bìmiǎn de xié'è)
1 (adjective)
Definition
(of an act, idea, etc.) causing great harm and misery
the country's most evil criminals
Synonyms
wicked
She flew at me, shouting how evil and wicked I was.
bad
I felt that I was a selfish, ungrateful, and generally bad person.
wrong
It was wrong of you to disrespect her.
corrupt
vicious
a vicious criminal incapable of remorse
vile
a vile and despicable crime
malicious
She described the charges as malicious.
base
Love has the power to overcome the baser emotions.
immoral
It is immoral to persist with a system that impoverishes so many people.
malignant
a malignant minority indulging in crime and violence
sinful
He reminded us that such behaviour was sinful in the eyes of God.
unholy
He screamed unholy things at me.
malevolent
Her stare was malevolent, her mouth a thin line.
heinous
They are capable of the most heinous acts.
depraved
It has been condemned as the most depraved film of its kind.
villainous
Richard III, one of Shakespeare's most villainous characters
nefarious
He was said to have committed other acts too nefarious to contemplate.
iniquitous
an iniquitous fine
reprobate
the most evil-looking gang of reprobate bikers
maleficent
2 (adjective)
Definition
(of an act, idea, etc.) causing great harm and misery
Few people would not condemn slavery as evil.
Synonyms
harmful
the harmful effects of smoking
painful
disastrous
the recent, disastrous earthquake
destructive
the awesome destructive power of nuclear weapons
dire
We found ourselves in a dire predicament.
catastrophic
mischievous
a mischievous campaign by the press
detrimental
These foods are considered detrimental to health.
hurtful
Her comments were very hurtful to Mrs Green's family.
woeful
the team's recent woeful performance
pernicious (formal)
the pernicious effects of alcoholism
ruinous
the ruinous effects of the conflict
sorrowful
His father's face looked suddenly soft and sorrowful.
deleterious (formal)
Fear of crime is having a deleterious effect on society.
injurious
Stress in itself is not necessarily injurious.
baneful (archaic)
3 (adjective)
This place is said to be haunted by an evil spirit.
Synonyms
demonic
demonic forces
satanic
The crimes were described as `satanic' by the newspapers.
diabolical
sins committed in a spirit of diabolical enjoyment
hellish
making devilish gestures with a hellish noise
devilish
devilish instruments of torture
infernal (informal)
The post office is shut, which is an infernal bore.
fiendish
a fiendish act of wickedness
4 (adjective)
Definition
very unpleasant
There was an evil stench in the room.
Synonyms
offensive
the offensive smell of manure
nasty
It's got a really nasty smell.
foul
foul, polluted water
unpleasant
an unpleasant taste of cheap coffee
vile
the vile smell of mouldy cheese
noxious
carbon monoxide and other noxious gases
disagreeable
a disagreeable odour
putrid
pestilential
the pestilential grey squirrel
mephitic
a mephitic stench
5 (adjective)
people of honour who happen to have fallen upon evil times
Synonyms
unfortunate
Through some unfortunate accident, the information reached me a day late.
unlucky
13 was to prove an unlucky number.
unfavourable
Unfavourable economic conditions were blocking a recovery.
ruinous
calamitous
a calamitous air crash
inauspicious
The meeting got off to an inauspicious start.
1 (noun)
Definition
a force or power that brings about wickedness and harm
We are being attacked by the forces of evil.
Synonyms
wickedness
moral arguments about the wickedness of nuclear weapons
They have sunk to new levels of wickedness.
bad
wrong
He doesn't seem to know the difference between right and wrong.
vice
a den of vice and violence
corruption
It was a society sinking into corruption and vice.
sin
Sin can be forgiven, but never condoned.
wrongdoing
The authorities haven't found any evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
depravity
the absolute depravity that can exist in times of war
immorality
a reflection of our society's immorality
iniquity
He rails against the iniquities of capitalism.
badness
They only recognize badness when they perceive it in others.
viciousness
The book romanticizes the viciousness of organized crime.
villainy
They justify their villainy in the name of their high ideals.
sinfulness
turpitude (formal)
a beacon of morality in a sea of turpitude
baseness
malignity
heinousness
maleficence
2 (noun)
those who see money as the root of all evil
Synonyms
harm
There was no harm in keeping the money.
suffering
It has caused terrible suffering to animals.
pain
Her eyes were filled with pain.
hurt
I was full of jealousy and hurt.
misery
All that money brought nothing but misery.
sorrow
It was a time of great sorrow.
woe
He listened to my tale of woe.
3 (noun)
Definition
a wicked or morally wrong act or thing
Racism is one of the greatest evils in the world.
Synonyms
act of cruelty
crime
ill
I know it will be difficult for them but I wish them no ill.
horror
the horror of this most bloody of civil wars
outrage
The terrorists' latest outrage is a bomb attack on a busy station.
cruelty
laws against cruelty to animals
brutality
The Roman arena played host to appalling brutality in the name of entertainment.
misfortune
mischief
The conference was a platform to cause political mischief.
affliction
monstrosity
the monstrosity of Nazism
abomination
What is happening is an abomination.
barbarity
the barbarity of war
villainy
Quotations
So farewell hope, and with hope farewell fear, Farewell remorse: all good to me is lost; Evil be thou my Good [John Milton – Paradise Lost]Evil be to him who evil thinks (Honi soit qui mal y pense) [Motto of the Order of the Garter]What we call evil is simply ignorance bumping its head in the dark [Henry Ford]The evil that men do lives after them [William Shakespeare – Julius Caesar]Evil alone has oil for every wheel [Edna St. Vincent Millay – Mine the Harvest]Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof [Bible: St. Matthew]
proverbs
Choose the lesser of two evilsSee no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abomination
What is happening is an abomination.
Synonyms
outrage,
bête noire,
horror,
evil,
shame,
plague (informal),
curse,
disgrace,
crime,
atrocity,
torment,
anathema,
barbarism,
bugbear
in the sense of bad
Definition
evil or immoral
I felt that I was a selfish, ungrateful, and generally bad person.
Synonyms
wicked,
criminal,
evil,
corrupt,
worthless,
base,
vile,
immoral,
delinquent,
sinful,
depraved,
debased,
amoral,
egregious,
villainous,
unprincipled,
iniquitous,
nefarious,
dissolute,
maleficent
in the sense of badness
They only recognize badness when they perceive it in others.