as in bad
that which is morally unacceptable
our free will allows us to choose between good and evil
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
drank an evil potion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in immoral
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable
their evil deeds rank among the worst in history
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ugly
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
she refused to eat olives or anything which had their evil flavor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
evil people
evil thoughts
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of evil
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 24 Oct. 2024
After years of attempts to rid her body of this presumptive evil, authorization to perform an exorcism was granted.
—Declan Gallagher and Chris Bellamy, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Leo Barraclough, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
Bats' connection to Halloween dates back to Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival where large bonfires were built to ward off evil spirits.
—Madeline Heim, Journal Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for evil 
Noun
Collection action across world leaders has never been more urgent needed to counter the spreading evil of Putin’s agenda.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 24 Oct. 2024
After years of attempts to rid her body of this presumptive evil, authorization to perform an exorcism was granted.
—Declan Gallagher and Chris Bellamy, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Fing turns out to be as much as a destructive monster as Myrtle, who in turn has to battle it out with the evil animal park owner, the Viscount, who is determined to own this rarest of creatures.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
Bats' connection to Halloween dates back to Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival where large bonfires were built to ward off evil spirits.
—Madeline Heim, Journal Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for evil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for evil
Noun
-
The revenue could come from taxes on bads (pollution, for example) or on rents (including land and, above all, intellectual property).Martin Wolf, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2015
-
Despite the obvious bad, there was undeniable good.Mellissa Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023
Adjective
-
Working out prior to menopause will reduce the risk of osteoporosis in your later years. And avoid harmful habits – smoking and heavy alcohol consumption can weaken bone density and increase the risk of fractures.Jianying Zhang, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
-
Albanese cited the risks to the physical and mental health of children from excessive social media use, in particular the risks to girls from harmful depictions of body image and misogynist content aimed at boys.Reuters, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
McKissic writes that evangelical leaders' acceptance of Trump despite his alleged immoral conduct is hypocritical, contrasting it with their past condemnation of former President Bill Clinton's indiscretions.David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
-
On the left, political scientists have long condemned militarized border controls as immoral, likening them to feudal controls on movement based on birthright.Alex Rivera, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
George Kittle On the ugly game: Being able to deal with all of that and still come out with a win.Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
-
Poor Sue, who wins the challenge and has to wear that ugly bat signal around her neck.Brian Moylan, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Once more, Kate’s sense of right and wrong is easily swayed by one person laying out a complicated, unlikely series of events that Kate hadn’t considered.Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
-
Second, the legal system’s reluctance to acknowledge its mistakes virtually ensures that some wrongs are never corrected – even when questions are raised about the evidence and witnesses underpinning a conviction.Terry W., The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment regarding some advocates’ concerns that a second Trump term would be dangerous for transgender Americans.Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024
-
Even more dangerous is the possibility that a Ukrainian missile strike or territorial takeover could throw a storage site into operational chaos, allowing rogue actors to seize its nuclear warheads—or inadvertently prompt Russian nuclear escalation.William M. Moon, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Court documents show a Maricopa County Superior Court grand jury indicted Jeffrey Michael Kelly on Oct. 29 on four counts of unlawful use of an infectious biological substance or radiological agent.Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
-
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner sued Musk and America PAC over the offer, calling it an unlawful lottery under Pennsylvania law and leading to Monday’s court hearing.David Ingram, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
At least Gill thinks that coffee is disgusting too.Brian Moylan, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
-
Trump is disgusting, unhinged and unfit to represent the United States.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near evil
Cite this Entry
“Evil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/evil. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share