wicked en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈwɪk.ɪd/ (Australia, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- wĭkʹĭd (Australia, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
- /ˈwək.əd/ (New-Zealand)
Etymology
From Middle English wicked, wikked, an alteration of Middle English wicke, wikke (“morally perverse, evil, wicked”). Of uncertain origin. Possibly from an adjectival use of Old English wiċċa (“wizard, sorcerer”), from Proto-West Germanic *wikkō (“necromancer, sorcerer”), though the phonology makes this theory difficult to explain. Alternatively, perhaps related to English wicker, Old Norse víkja (“to bend to, yield, turn, move”), Swedish vika (“to bend, fold, give way to”), English weak. The "excellent, awesome" sense is an ameliorative semantic shift from the original sense of "evil, mischievous". Compare similar semantic development in terrific and sick.
Meanings
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Evil or mischievous by nature; morally reprehensible.
What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way / What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you / What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way
1989, Chris Isaak, “Wicked Game”, in Heart Shaped World:Genuine cowards follow wicked people and cannot reliably sustain any virtue.
The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bolde as a lyon.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 28:1:“Yes,” replied she; “and the saddest part of it all is that she is not marrying the man she loves. Oh, it is terrible. Marrying from a sense of duty! I think it is perfectly wicked, and I told her so.”
1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 101:‘[…] I remember a lady coming to inspect St. Mary's Home where I was brought up and seeing us all in our lovely Elizabethan uniforms we were so proud of, and bursting into tears all over us because “it was wicked to dress us like charity children”.[…]’.
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 6, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
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Harsh; severe.
wicked wind
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(slang) Excellent; awesome; masterful; exceptional.
That was a wicked guitar solo, bro!
The Artemis II astronauts sent back descriptions of the total solar eclipse they viewed from space to NASA's Mission Control. "It’s truly hard to describe. It is amazing," pilot Victor Glover said. Glover said that the Orion spacecraft was made as dark as possible due to every bit of light in the cabin affecting the view. "It’s a wicked view," he said of the darkened moon with deep space behind it.
2026 April 6, Mary Kekatos, Julia Jacobo, Leah Sarnoff, Ivan Pereira, quoting Victor Glover, “'Absolutely spectacular, surreal': Astronauts describe solar eclipse”, in ABC News, retrieved 06 Apr 2026:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| wickedest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| most wicked | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| wickeder | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| more wicked | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
wickedsome · wicked tongue · wickedness · wickedly · wicked problem · have one's wicked way with · wicked pissah · no sleep for the wicked · no rest for the wicked
Synonyms
sterling · lit · malevolent · peng · facinorous · rad · sinful · immaculate · despicable · exceptional · killer · exquisite · spiffing · terrific · far out · diabolical · priceless · vicious · wrong · stunning · bomb · niddering · broyal · immoral · vile · scathful · based · blissful · extraordinary · studly · heavenly · bully · fly · demonic · immoral · groovy · bad · iniquous · tight · great · iniquitous · maleficent · top-notch · dope · depraved · top-shelf · awe-inspiring · sordid · tubular · crackerjack · reprobate · out of sight · unholy · top-drawer · injurious · pog · naughty · malignant · bad · cock on · dark · phenomenal · sullen · topping · pukka · bang-up · ace · nefarious · top-of-the-range · base · satanic · devilish · admirable · villainous · arrant · nithing · marvelous · abandoned · wicked · wicked · evil-minded · exemplary · detrimental · black-hearted · fantastic · beatific · flagitious · bitching · swell · heavenlike · poggers · excellent · divine · first-rate · commendable · cool · superior · celestial · superb · magnificent · finger-lickin' good · peccaminous · wonderful · fantabulosa · well-done · pernicious · knavish · deleterious · malign · brilliant · tuff · evil · twisted · worldie · scurrilous · kicking · awesome · ill-intentioned · malevolent · niding · impeccable · fierce · fire · baleful · wicked pissah · top-hole · kick-ass · chronic · badass · excellent · cool · delightful · fabulous · splendid · sick · spot on · sweet · grouse · gnarly · sinister · slap-up · awesome · peak · malicious · cushty · villainous · super · evil · incredible · top · dank · ungodly · rum · reprehensible · bad seed · remarkable · goated · nidering · incorrigible · def · phat · malefic · baneful · no-good · ill-natured · epic · quality · chur · outstanding · copacetic · choice · beneship · stellar · bang on · cher · bad apple · harmful · dope · nang · fab · hot · radical · fireball · glorious · slick · lash · rad · spectacular · sensational · malicious · lautitious · amazing · nefarious · heinous · frabjous
Translations (134)
sa दुर्जन (evil or mischievous) · pl nikczemny (evil or mischievous) · de boshaft (evil or mischievous) · ar شِرِير (evil or mischievous) · cmn 了不起 (slang: awesome) · it malvagio (evil or mischievous) · de super (slang: awesome) · da fedt (slang: awesome) · ja 凄い (slang: awesome) · it fantastico (slang: awesome) · hi दुराचारी (evil or mischievous) · bg лош (evil or mischievous) · arz شرير (evil or mischievous) · fr génial (slang: awesome) · de genial (slang: awesome) · ja 邪悪 (evil or mischievous) · pt legal (slang: awesome) · fi ilkeä (evil or mischievous) · fi paha (slang: awesome) · txb yolo (evil or mischievous) · ru потряса́ющий (slang: awesome) · sv asfet (slang: awesome) · mi kikino (evil or mischievous) · swb -ovu (evil or mischievous) · swb -a peu (evil or mischievous) · cmn 酷 (slang: awesome) · tr lanetli (evil or mischievous) · nl kwaadaardig (evil or mischievous) · pt mau (evil or mischievous) · th ชั่วร้าย (evil or mischievous) · it perverso (evil or mischievous) · fi pahanilkinen (evil or mischievous) · it maligno (evil or mischievous) · pt muito louco (slang: awesome) · bg порочен (evil or mischievous) · pt da hora (slang: awesome) · ru круто́й (slang: awesome) · eo pekema (evil or mischievous) · de böse (evil or mischievous) · ru кла́ссный (slang: awesome) · sv syndig (evil or mischievous) · sa अघ (evil or mischievous) · ru по́длый (evil or mischievous) · ro rău (evil or mischievous) · nl slecht (evil or mischievous) · it figo (slang: awesome) · cs hustý (slang: awesome) · bg зъл (evil or mischievous) · pl podły (evil or mischievous) · el κακός (evil or mischievous) · grc ἀλιτρός (evil or mischievous) · hu gonosz (evil or mischievous) · ja 素敵 (slang: awesome) · la malus (evil or mischievous) · de schlimm (evil or mischievous) · sv grym (slang: awesome) · es malvado (evil or mischievous) · he רָשָׁע (evil or mischievous) · da syndig (evil or mischievous) · cs podlý (evil or mischievous) · fy glûpsk (evil or mischievous) · ru зло́бный (evil or mischievous) · gd olc (evil or mischievous) · mi kino (evil or mischievous) · fr méchant (evil or mischievous) · cop ϩⲟⲟⲩ (evil or mischievous) · ota یامان (evil or mischievous) · grc πονηρός (evil or mischievous) · lv ļauns (evil or mischievous) · fr super (slang: awesome) · tr uğursuz (evil or mischievous) · sv elak (evil or mischievous) · mk јак (slang: awesome) · mk зло́бен (evil or mischievous) · it nefasto (evil or mischievous) · egy Dw-w-G36 (evil or mischievous) · it diabolico (slang: awesome) · ja 素晴らしい (slang: awesome) · de toll (slang: awesome) · fr mortel (slang: awesome) · de geil (slang: awesome) · el φοβερός (slang: awesome) · sv fet (slang: awesome) · sq keq (evil or mischievous) · es avieso (evil or mischievous) · ja 意地悪い (evil or mischievous) · cmn 邪惡 /邪恶 (evil or mischievous) · ja 腕白 (evil or mischievous) · fur trist (evil or mischievous) · de schlecht (evil or mischievous) · ru злой (evil or mischievous) · ca dolent (evil or mischievous) · fa شرور (evil or mischievous) · fur cjâtif (evil or mischievous) · mk по́рочен (evil or mischievous) · de übel (evil or mischievous) · sq lig (evil or mischievous) · tpi nogut (evil or mischievous) · de bösartig (evil or mischievous) · pl wredny (evil or mischievous) · cmn 調皮 /调皮 (evil or mischievous) · hy չար (evil or mischievous) · fr chanmé (slang: awesome) · fr sensass (slang: awesome) · sv asgrym (slang: awesome) · sw -baya (evil or mischievous) · it cattivo (evil or mischievous) · ru озорно́й (evil or mischievous) · ru клёвый (slang: awesome) · eo malafabla (evil or mischievous) · ceb payter (evil or mischievous) · el γαμάτος (slang: awesome) · shy abcaɛ (evil or mischievous) · mk зол (evil or mischievous) · th เจ๋ง (slang: awesome) · scn tintu (evil or mischievous) · fi häijy (evil or mischievous) · it diabolico (evil or mischievous) · fi pähee (slang: awesome) · cmn 棒 (slang: awesome) · fi siisti (slang: awesome) · ko 나쁘다 (evil or mischievous) · pt malvado (evil or mischievous) · de sündhaft (evil or mischievous) · pdt bees (evil or mischievous) · ro hain (evil or mischievous) · yi שלעכט (evil or mischievous) · pdt iebel (evil or mischievous) · pt bárbaro (evil or mischievous) · ro răutăcios (evil or mischievous) · pdt gottlooss (evil or mischievous) · zdj -a peu (evil or mischievous) · fi paha (evil or mischievous) · gd meallta (evil or mischievous)