eviler or eviller; evilest or evillest
1
2
a
archaic
: inferior
b
: causing discomfort or repulsion : offensive
an evil odor
c
: disagreeable
woke late and in an evil temper
3
a
: causing harm : pernicious
the evil institution of slavery
b
: marked by misfortune : unlucky
1
a
: the fact of suffering, misfortune, and wrongdoing
b
: a cosmic evil force
2
: something that brings sorrow, distress, or calamity
archaic
: in an evil manner
Synonyms
Examples of evil in a Sentence
Adjective
She drank an evil potion.
The city has fallen on evil days.
It was an evil omen.
Noun
the battle of good versus evil
our free will allows us to choose between good and evil
Recent Examples on the Web
Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
The big difference between this show and that film is that there’s more than one body-hopping alien to contend with, and not all of them are evil.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
The deity is also linked to earthquakes, thunder, darkness, storms, and death and was widely regarded as the most powerful force of evil in Egyptian theology.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for evil 
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Adjective
Here's why At one point he’s basically indentured to almost comically evil thieves, who force him to crawl through small spaces in the rubble to steal for them.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
The big difference between this show and that film is that there’s more than one body-hopping alien to contend with, and not all of them are evil.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
But did the Stanford experiment really offer anything conclusive about the nature of evil?
—Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
The deity is also linked to earthquakes, thunder, darkness, storms, and death and was widely regarded as the most powerful force of evil in Egyptian theology.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for evil
Dictionary Entries Near evil
Cite this Entry
“Evil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evil. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
evil
2 of 2 noun1
: something that brings sorrow, trouble, or destruction
2
: the fact of suffering or wrongdoing
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