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:
Echoing his words, President Zelensky said "the perpetrator of this evil must bear full responsibility according to the law", adding that Ukraine was counting on "a quick and thorough investigation of all circumstances".
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
For most politicians, calling the 9/11 attacks evil would be unremarkable.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Instead, people expressed their condolences for America’s loss and their disbelief that anyone could be so evil as to launch those attacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Is it a sight of pure, inhumane evil, or do their blank expressions merely reflect a corruption that can still be reversed?
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
‘Soon they drifted into evil, warped by their hunger for power.’
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
But he was outperformed citywide, leaving Palisades voters with a choice some liken to picking the lesser of two evils: Mayor Karen Bass or Councilmember Nithya Raman.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
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
A wary Tinseltown reluctantly lined up behind Netflix as the lesser of two evils, only to watch Paramount keep raising its bid until the streamer walked away in February.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
The attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, gave rise to many evils.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2026
“For them, at least, it is over. They are safe. Safe from the thousand evils of the everyday. Safe from the pains of an unjust fate.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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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