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.
See Examples For:
The only explanation for the horrific turn her life took must be that she was secretly evil all along.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026
The world is still dangerous and humanity still capable of unspeakable evil, but most neighborhoods bear little resemblance to lawless frontiers of old.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
Curry was also known for his work as the evil clown Pennywise in the miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s “It,” butler Wadsworth in “Clue” and the Lord of Darkness in “Legend.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Former UN rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein described him as "the epitome of evil".
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Her wish blossomed as she sang the spell and made her request: Grow deep roots and protect us all from evil as we sleep.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
And coming from the field of disinformation in particular, A.I. is a Pandora’s box of yet-to-be-imagined evils.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
Nolan uses this adjustment to build out the film’s emotional throughline: an extended rumination on the evils of war and the repugnance of men.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
A wary Tinseltown reluctantly coalesced around the Netflix bid, seeing it as the lesser of two evils, but Paramount's willingness to stump up ever greater sums eventually saw the streamer withdraw.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
Also, I am afraid your columns do not sufficiently extol the value of work, which Voltaire rightly claimed protects us from the evils of boredom, vice, and poverty.
From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026
“As I was about to explain, the only good thing in the box was Hope, and that is why, even though there are many evils in the world, there is still a little hope.”
From "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech
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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