evil
Usage
What are other ways to say evil?
Evil applies to that which violates or leads to the violation of moral law: evil practices. Ill now appears mainly in certain fixed expressions, with a milder implication than that in evil: ill will; ill-natured. Wicked implies willful and determined doing of what is very wrong: a wicked plan. Bad is the broadest and simplest term: a bad man; bad habits.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Other creatures possess more mystical abilities, such as the scaly, deerlike qilin who can recognize whether a “person holds good or evil in their heart.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
It also was a place with "no sword, no drone, no vengeance, no trivialisation of evil, no unjust profit, but only dignity, understanding and forgiveness."
From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026
“Instead of trying to be an aid to people it is treating them in an evil way. It is very disheartening.”
From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026
"People asking what's wrong with my eyebrows. They're evil, they're so mean. I don't know what they're going to say when they see me pregnant."
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
And I still think the snake in the henhouse was an evil omen of trouble coming.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Vocabulary lists containing evil
Bush's Address on 9/11
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"Frankenstein" and "How Frankenstein Began"
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"The Flying Machine" by Ray Bradbury
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