evil en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈiːvəl/
- (US) audio
- /ˈiːvɪl/
- [ˈɪi̯vɪl] (obsolete)
- [ˈɪi̯vəl] ~ [ˈɪi̯vl̩]
Etymology
From Middle English yvel, evel, ivel, uvel, from Old English yfel, from Proto-West Germanic *ubil, from Proto-Germanic *ubilaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂up(h₁)élos, a deverbal derivative of *h₂wep(h₁)-, *h₂wop(h₁)- (“treat badly”). See -le for the supposed suffix. Alternatively from *upélos (“evil”, literally “going over or beyond (acceptable limits)”), from Proto-Indo-European *upo, *h₃ewp- (“down, up, over”). Cognates Cognate with Dutch euvel (“evil”), German übel (“bad, evil”), German Low German övel (“evil”), Luxembourgish iwwel (“queasy, nauseous; bad”), Gothic 𐌿𐌱𐌹𐌻𐍃 (ubils, “bad, evil”). Compare Old Irish fel (“bad, evil”), from Proto-Celtic *uɸelos, and Hittite 𒄷𒉿𒀊𒍣 (huwapp-ⁱ, “to mistreat, harass”), 𒄷𒉿𒀊𒉺𒀸 (huwappa-, “evil, badness”).
Meanings
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Intending to harm; malevolent.
He looked at her shapely person with something of the brazen and evil glance that had been so revolting to her in the eyes of those ruffians.
1916, Zane Grey, chapter 10, in The Border Legion, New York: Harper & Bros., page 147:He tells secret dreams to strangers , imagines he can achieve art without discipline , regards all boundaries as evil , ignores ancestors , wants comfort and merging , believes cunning is wrong , and as a scholar or artist doesn't […]
1989, Pilgrimage, volume 15, Human Sciences Press, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 7:For a good while the Miss Brownings were kept in ignorance of the evil tongues that whispered hard words about Molly.
1864 August – 1866 January, [Elizabeth] Gaskell, chapter 47, in Wives and Daughters. An Every-day Story. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], published 1866, →OCLC:2006, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Wizard of the Crow, New York: Pantheon, Book Three, Section II, Chapter 3, p. 351, “Before this, I never had any cause to suspect my wife of any conspiracy.” “You mean it never crossed your mind that she might have been told to whisper evil thoughts in your ear at night?”
an evil plot to brainwash and even kill innocent people
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Morally corrupt.
Do you think that companies that engage in animal testing are evil?
Ah, what a sign it is of evil life, When death’s approach is seen so terrible.
1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:If something is evil, it is never mandatory.
I had much trouble at first in breaking him of those evil habits his father had taught him to acquire […]
1848, Anne Brontë, chapter 41, in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall:To the rabbis who taught in the Jewish parochial schools, baseball was an evil waste of time […]
1967, Chaim Potok, chapter 1, in The Chosen, New York: Fawcett Columbine, published 2003, page 14:
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Unpleasant, foul (of odor, taste, mood, weather, etc.).
He herded them into a small and evil toilet and then through a window.
1958, Graham Greene, Our Man in Havana, Penguin, published 1979, Part Four, Chapter 1, p. 125:1937, Robert Byron, The Road to Oxiana, London: Macmillan, Part V, “Mazar-i-Sherif,” p. 282, It was an evil day, sticky and leaden: Oxiana looked as colourless and suburban as India.
He awoke in an evil temper […]
1897, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, chapter 18, in The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance, New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, →OCLC:Everyone in the tiny, crowded, hot, and evil-smelling kitchen […] has been invited to participate in a moment of history.
1993, Carol Shields, chapter 1, in The Stone Diaries, Toronto: Random House of Canada, page 39:1660, John Harding (translator), Paracelsus his Archidoxis, London: W.S., Book 7, “Of an Odoriferous Specifick,” p. 100, An Odoriferous Specifick […] is a Matter that takes away Diseases from the Sick, no otherwise then as Civet drives away the stinck of Ordure by its Odour; for you are to observe, That the Specifick doth permix it self with this evil Odour of the Dung; and the stink of the Dung cannot hurt, no[r] abide there […]
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Producing or threatening sorrow, distress, injury, or calamity; unpropitious; calamitous.
The owl shrieked at thy birth,—an evil sign;
c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene vi]:A little stay will bring some notice hither, For evil news rides post, while good news baits.
1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 89, lines 438-439:“[…] with bandits and robbers roving over the land in these evil times of famine and war, how can it be said that this one or that stole anything? Hunger makes thief of any man.”
1931, Pearl S. Buck, chapter 15, in The Good Earth, New York: Modern Library, published 1944, page 122:[…] he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel:
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 22:19:I cannot overestimate how much it meant to me to have the support of my brothers in BWMT/MACT both in and out of prison while I was laid up with pneumocystis pneumonia during those dog days of August 1987. My wall is decked with cards, letters, and pictures from those evil days, and my support system included rides, flowers, candy, magazines of every description, and lots of hugs from gay and lesbian brothers and sisters.
1988 February 14, Richard Tremblay, “A Boat With A Sail”, in Gay Community News, volume 15, number 30, page 5:
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(obsolete) Having harmful qualities; not good; worthless or deleterious.
an evil beast; an evil plant; an evil crop
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 7:18:
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(slang) Undesirable; harmful; bad practice.
Global variables are evil; storing processing context in object member variables allows those objects to be reused in a much more flexible way.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| evillest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| most evil | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| eviller | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| eviler | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| evilest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more evil | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
just · righteous · moral · well-intentioned · good-minded · good · benign · angelic
Deriveds
turning evil · evilutionary · mid-evil · shame be to him who thinks evil of it · evil genius · moor-evil · colt's evil · evilution · chaotic evil · evil willer · pure evil · evil be to him who evil thinks · evil-eye · evil-doer · evil eye · evil turn · evil laughter · evil container · evility · evil to him that evil thinks · nonevil · Evil One · unevil · evil day · evil-tempered · evil-minded · evil hour · evilista · evilize · evilutionist · evilly · evil laugh · evil maid attack · evilfare · evil twin · evil-speaking · evilness
Hyponyms
Relateds
Synonyms
despicable · peccaminous · unholy · villainous · dark · vicious · abandoned · flagitious · nefarious · wrong · naughty · pernicious · facinorous · bad · demonic · diabolical · malicious · vile · sinful · arrant · wicked · sinister · harmful · scurrilous · immoral · ill-natured · satanic · baleful · reprobate · incorrigible · niddering · deleterious · iniquous · depraved · base · injurious · ill-intentioned · no-good · sullen · black-hearted · iniquitous · reprehensible · malefic · malign · detrimental · malignant · bad seed · scathful · baneful · bad apple · maleficent · nithing · nidering · devilish · ungodly · malevolent · evil-minded · evil · heinous · knavish · niding · sordid
Translations (241)
pdt iebel (intending to harm) · fr méchant (intending to harm) · el κακός (intending to harm) · it cattivo (morally corrupt) · ro câinos (intending to harm) · pdt bees (morally corrupt) · rgn cativ (intending to harm) · ast gafu (intending to harm) · de übel (intending to harm) · nl kwaad (intending to harm) · ro rău (intending to harm) · sh за̏о (intending to harm) · tyv бак (intending to harm) · fi pirullinen (intending to harm) · hy չար (morally corrupt) · mi kino (morally corrupt) · eu gaizto (intending to harm) · ko 악랄하다 (intending to harm) · cy abred (morally corrupt) · tyz ác (intending to harm) · ar شَرِير (intending to harm) · da dårlig (intending to harm) · fi pahantahtoinen (intending to harm) · hi पापी (intending to harm) · fi paha (unpleasant, foul (smell, taste)) · da skadelig (intending to harm) · es maléfico (intending to harm) · hi दुष्ट (intending to harm) · pt malvado (morally corrupt) · es malvado (intending to harm) · la malignus (morally corrupt) · fa فژ (morally corrupt) · ar شِرِّير (intending to harm) · fi häijy (intending to harm) · gd truaighe (intending to harm) · got 𐌿𐌱𐌹𐌻𐍃 (intending to harm) · eo malbona (intending to harm) · nl slecht (intending to harm) · ro depravat (morally corrupt) · da slet (intending to harm) · ca malèfic (intending to harm) · got 𐌿𐌽𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌸 (intending to harm) · fa شرورانه (morally corrupt) · bg лош (intending to harm) · la malus (intending to harm) · fr mauvais (unpleasant, foul (smell, taste)) · es celerado (morally corrupt) · km ដែលខូចសីលធម (morally corrupt) · is illur (intending to harm) · oj maji- (intending to harm) · kk қас (intending to harm) · ang yfel (intending to harm) · got 𐌿𐌱𐌹𐌻𐍃 (morally corrupt) · pt maléfico (intending to harm) · ro rău (morally corrupt) · km កាច (intending to harm) · swb -ovu (intending to harm) · fi paha (intending to harm) · egy Dw-w-G36 (morally corrupt) · hy չար (intending to harm) · es perverso (intending to harm) · grc κακός (morally corrupt) · got 𐌿𐌽𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌸 (morally corrupt) · it malevolo (intending to harm) · ast malváu (morally corrupt) · sh по̀ква̄рен (morally corrupt) · ja 邪心 (intending to harm) · da ond (morally corrupt) · it corrotto (morally corrupt) · ka ბოროტი (intending to harm) · sh pòkvāren (morally corrupt) · th ชั่วร้าย (intending to harm) · fa شرور (intending to harm) · ka მავნე (intending to harm) · nl boos (intending to harm) · fr malfaisant (morally corrupt) · sa पाप (morally corrupt) · pdt iebel (morally corrupt) · lt blogas (intending to harm) · sh zȁo (intending to harm) · ru поро́чный (morally corrupt) · hi दुष्ट (morally corrupt) · txb yolo (intending to harm) · sk zlý (intending to harm) · et kuri (intending to harm) · ang yfel (morally corrupt) · lmy bokala (intending to harm) · ms jahat (intending to harm) · ml തിന്മ (intending to harm) · si දුෂ්ට ඉතා නරක (intending to harm) · nl kwaadaardig (intending to harm) · grc πονηρός (intending to harm) · nl boosaardig (intending to harm) · ka ავი (intending to harm) · fa بدکار (intending to harm) · da umoralsk (morally corrupt) · nv doo yáʼáshǫ́ǫ da (intending to harm) · fr infâme (intending to harm) · mr वाईट (intending to harm) · vo badik (intending to harm) · ca maliciós (intending to harm) · bg зъл (intending to harm) · kmr xirab (morally corrupt) · uk злий (intending to harm) · it infernale (intending to harm) · da ond (intending to harm) · dsb zły (intending to harm) · cmn 壞的 /坏的 (intending to harm) · it maligno (intending to harm) · ilo balang (intending to harm) · ko 사악하다 (intending to harm) · ro decăzut (morally corrupt) · nl euvel (intending to harm) · sw -baya (intending to harm) · km អាក្រក់ (intending to harm) · mr दुष्ट (intending to harm) · fr mauvais (intending to harm) · hu gonosz (intending to harm) · es malo (intending to harm) · pt mal (morally corrupt) · it mefistofelico (intending to harm) · fa پلید (morally corrupt) · mww phem (morally corrupt) · cmn 凶狠 (intending to harm) · mr दुष्ट (morally corrupt) · it diabolico (intending to harm) · pdt bees (intending to harm) · lv ļauns (morally corrupt) · et paha (intending to harm) · is slæmur (intending to harm) · ckt анӈэнаԓьын (intending to harm) · ca roí (intending to harm) · ja 悪い (intending to harm) · kmr xirab (intending to harm) · ast gafientu (intending to harm) · eo malica (intending to harm) · he מרושע (intending to harm) · li kwaod (intending to harm) · gd urchaid (intending to harm) · vi ác (intending to harm) · gl mao (intending to harm) · lt piktas (intending to harm) · fi ilkeä (intending to harm) · it perverso (intending to harm) · ia mal (intending to harm) · ast malín (intending to harm) · lv ļauns (intending to harm) · be злы (intending to harm) · da slem (intending to harm) · id jahat (intending to harm) · tpi nogut (morally corrupt) · it demoniaco (intending to harm) · ht move (intending to harm) · ltg ļauns (intending to harm) · cop ϩⲟⲟⲩ (intending to harm) · sv elak (intending to harm) · cy adwythig (morally corrupt) · cmn 邪惡的 /邪恶的 (intending to harm) · sk zlo (morally corrupt) · fi ilkeä (morally corrupt) · gd aingidheachd (intending to harm) · it malvagio (morally corrupt) · el φαύλος (morally corrupt) · grc πονηρός (morally corrupt) · cs zlý (intending to harm) · vo badik (morally corrupt) · it malefico (intending to harm) · li euvel (intending to harm) · mk лош (intending to harm) · es escelerado (morally corrupt) · txb yolo (morally corrupt) · ast malu (intending to harm) · enm yvel (intending to harm) · tyz ác (morally corrupt) · kk мейірімсіз (intending to harm) · mk зол (intending to harm) · izh pakana (intending to harm) · nb slem (intending to harm) · ca malvat (morally corrupt) · it satanico (intending to harm) · de böse (intending to harm) · fr maléfique (intending to harm) · mba madaut (intending to harm) · io mala (intending to harm) · gd olc (intending to harm) · fi paha (morally corrupt) · nan-hbl 惡質 /恶质 (intending to harm) · he רשע (morally corrupt) · is ill f illt (intending to harm) · cu зълъ (intending to harm) · qu saqra (morally corrupt) · hil malain (intending to harm) · sv ond (intending to harm) · pt mau (intending to harm) · ro răutăcios (intending to harm) · ro desfrânat (morally corrupt) · ja 邪悪な (intending to harm) · enm yvel (morally corrupt) · is vondur (intending to harm) · pl zły (intending to harm) · ta தீய (intending to harm) · luo rach (intending to harm) · ca dolent (morally corrupt) · hsb zły (intending to harm) · lmy japata (intending to harm) · bg поро́чен (morally corrupt) · ar شَرِير (morally corrupt) · el κακός (morally corrupt) · kn ದುಷ್ಠ (intending to harm) · te దుష్ట (intending to harm) · it malevolo (morally corrupt) · fo óndur (intending to harm) · kn ಕೆಟ್ಟ (intending to harm) · ca malvat (intending to harm) · sl zèl (intending to harm) · ht mechan (intending to harm) · tr kötü (intending to harm) · arz شرير (intending to harm) · lo ຊົ່ວ (intending to harm) · th ชั่ว (intending to harm) · ca dolent (intending to harm) · nap malo (intending to harm) · ia malefic (intending to harm) · te దెయ్యం (intending to harm) · he רע (intending to harm) · tl masama (intending to harm) · sl hudôben (intending to harm) · es malvado (morally corrupt) · es malo (morally corrupt) · fo óreinur (intending to harm) · ro hain (intending to harm) · pt malvado (intending to harm) · es malévolo (intending to harm) · ota یامان (intending to harm) · ckt нанӈэнаӄэн (intending to harm) · it malvagio (intending to harm) · nb ond (intending to harm) · ru злой (intending to harm) · nl slecht (morally corrupt) · hi बुरा (intending to harm) · ar شِرِّير (morally corrupt)