EVIL

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does evil mean? 

• EVIL (noun)
  The noun EVIL has 3 senses:

1. morally objectionable behavior

2. that which causes harm or destruction or misfortune

3. the quality of being morally wrong in principle or practice

  Familiarity information: EVIL used as a noun is uncommon.

• EVIL (adjective)
  The adjective EVIL has 3 senses:

1. morally bad or wrong

2. having the nature of vice

3. having or exerting a malignant influence

  Familiarity information: EVIL used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EVIL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Morally objectionable behavior

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

evil; immorality; iniquity; wickedness

Hypernyms ("evil" is a kind of...):

evildoing; transgression (the act of transgressing; the violation of a law or a duty or moral principle)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "evil"):

devilry; deviltry (wicked and cruel behavior)

foul play (unfair or dishonest behavior (especially involving violence))

irreverence; violation (a disrespectful act)

sexual immorality (the evil ascribed to sexual acts that violate social conventions)

Sense 2

Meaning:

That which causes harm or destruction or misfortune

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

the evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones

Hypernyms ("evil" is a kind of...):

bad; badness (that which is below standard or expectations as of ethics or decency)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "evil"):

Four Horsemen ((New Testament) the four evils that will come at the end of the world: conquest rides a white horse; war a red horse; famine a black horse; plague a pale horse)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The quality of being morally wrong in principle or practice

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

evil; evilness

Context example:

attempts to explain the origin of evil in the world

Hypernyms ("evil" is a kind of...):

immorality (the quality of not being in accord with standards of right or good conduct)

Attribute:

evil (morally bad or wrong)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "evil"):

malevolence; malevolency; malice (the quality of threatening evil)

malignance; malignancy; malignity (quality of being disposed to evil; intense ill will)

balefulness; maleficence; mischief (the quality or nature of being harmful or evil)

worst (the greatest damage or wickedness of which one is capable)

nefariousness; ugliness; vileness; wickedness (the quality of being wicked)

reprehensibility (being reprehensible; worthy of and deserving reprehension or reproof)

villainousness; villainy (the quality of evil by virtue of villainous behavior)

perverseness; perversity (deliberately deviating from what is good)

error; wrongdoing (departure from what is ethically acceptable)

frailty; vice (moral weakness)

Antonym:

good (moral excellence or admirableness)

• EVIL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Morally bad or wrong

Context example:

evil deeds

Similar:

atrocious; flagitious; grievous; monstrous (shockingly brutal or cruel)

bad (characterized by wickedness or immorality)

black; dark; sinister (stemming from evil characteristics or forces; wicked or dishonorable)

corruptive; perversive; pestiferous (tending to corrupt or pervert)

demonic; diabolic; diabolical; fiendish; hellish; infernal; satanic; unholy (extremely evil or cruel; expressive of cruelty or befitting hell)

despicable; slimy; ugly; unworthy; vile; worthless; wretched (morally reprehensible)

devilish; diabolic; diabolical; mephistophelean; mephistophelian (showing the cunning or ingenuity or wickedness typical of a devil)

evil-minded (having evil thoughts or intentions)

Also:

bad (having undesirable or negative qualities)

immoral (deliberately violating accepted principles of right and wrong)

offensive (unpleasant or disgusting especially to the senses)

wrong (contrary to conscience or morality or law)

unrighteous (not righteous)

wicked (morally bad in principle or practice)

Attribute:

evil; evilness (the quality of being morally wrong in principle or practice)

Antonym:

good (morally admirable)

Derivation:

evilness (the quality of being morally wrong in principle or practice)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Having the nature of vice

Synonyms:

evil; vicious

Similar:

wicked (morally bad in principle or practice)

Derivation:

evilness (the quality of being morally wrong in principle or practice)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Having or exerting a malignant influence

Synonyms:

evil; malefic; malevolent; malign

Context example:

a malefic force

Similar:

maleficent (harmful or evil in intent or effect)

 Context examples 

On your living soul I charge you that you do not die—nay, nor think of death—till this great evil be past.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil—a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Strange to say, and I noted it all once, Wolf Larsen’s features showed no such evil stamp.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

There is so keen a sympathy between us that I should know if evil came upon him.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

With the brow of a philosopher above and the jaw of a sensualist below, the man must have started with great capacities for good or for evil.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"Mayhap they be not evil, but good, these spirits," others said.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

“It was in an evil hour that you ever came here! A curse upon you! Go!”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The evil of a marriage would be much diminished, if Elizabeth were also to marry.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

If Saul could have had you for his David, the evil spirit would have been exorcised without the aid of the harp.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

His pleasing manners and good sense were self-evident recommendations; and having never heard evil of him, it was not their way to suppose any evil could be told.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)