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DictionaryevilMoral wickedness
adjective / noun

evil

EE-vul/ˈiːvl/

Profound moral wrongness or harm.

The novel explores how ordinary people resist evil under pressure.

Deliberate cruelty: a man raises a wooden stick toward a cowering dog while a woman crouches protectively over the animal and holds up a defensive hand.
Etymology
evilOld Englishbad, wicked

Old English yfel covered much of what we now call bad, including cruelty, defects, and harm. As bad took over the broader uses, evil became more focused on moral wickedness.

In context

History of Simple Things0:57
In many places, the evil eye is the belief that a jealous or overly admiring look can bring harm, bad luck, sickness, or trouble.
The Evil Eye Explained: What That Blue Charm Really Means

More examples

  • She refuses to carry out his evil plan.
  • They work to end the evils of human trafficking.
  • The survivors described acts of shocking evil.

Forms

evil · evils · eviler · evilest

evilly adverb — In a morally wicked or cruel manner.

Similar words

wicked
Emphasizes moral corruption rather than harmful effects alone.
wickedness
Names moral badness, rather than a particular harmful thing.
cruelty
Specifically concerns causing suffering or showing indifference to it.