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EVIL
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I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Morally objectionable behavior
Synonyms:
evil; immorality; iniquity; wickedness
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
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:
The quality of being morally wrong in principle or practice
Example:
attempts to explain the origin of evil in the world
Synonyms:
evil; evilness
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
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)
Sense 3
Meaning:
That which causes harm or destruction or misfortune
Example:
the evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
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)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Having or exerting a malignant influence
Example:
a malefic force
Synonyms:
evil; malefic; malevolent; malign
Classified under:
Similar:
maleficent (harmful or evil in intent or effect)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Morally bad or wrong
Example:
evil deeds
Classified under:
Similar:
evil-minded (having evil thoughts or intentions)
devilish; diabolic; diabolical; mephistophelean; mephistophelian (showing the cunning or ingenuity or wickedness typical of a devil)
despicable; slimy; ugly; unworthy; vile; worthless; wretched (morally reprehensible)
demonic; diabolic; diabolical; fiendish; hellish; infernal; satanic; unholy (extremely evil or cruel; expressive of cruelty or befitting hell)
corruptive; perversive; pestiferous (tending to corrupt or pervert)
black; dark; sinister (stemming from evil characteristics or forces; wicked or dishonorable)
bad (characterized by wickedness or immorality)
atrocious; flagitious; grievous; monstrous (shockingly brutal or cruel)
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 3
Meaning:
Having the nature of vice
Synonyms:
evil; vicious
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
wicked (morally bad in principle or practice)
Derivation:
evilness (the quality of being morally wrong in principle or practice)
Context examples:
For an instant I read hatred and menace in the evil eyes.
(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Everyone scattered like leaves before a gust of wind, and the quiet, happy household was broken up as suddenly as if the paper had been an evil spell.
(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)
He could not forget in a day all the evil that had been wrought him at the hands of men.
(White Fang, by Jack London)
“He has confessed to all. It only remains for me to portion out the punishment which is due to his evil conduct.”
(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
I much fear that some evil has come to the Lady Frances Carfax.
(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Jekyll was no worse; he woke again to his good qualities seemingly unimpaired; he would even make haste, where it was possible, to undo the evil done by Hyde.
(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)
It is true that we can put history-books into their hands, and they can read from them of our weary struggle of two and twenty years with that great and evil man.
(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
He was standing there by night like one intent on doing evil.
(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)
It was thus that I was to be taught to associate evil with their prosecution, happiness with their disregard.
(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)
He’s a token of evil.
(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
