evil

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) enPR: ē-vəl, ē-vĭl, IPA(key): /ˈiː.vəl/, [ˈiːvl̩], /ˈiː.vɪl/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈi.vəl/, [ˈi.vl̩] Rhymes: -iːvəl === Etymology 1 === From Middle English yvel, evel, ivel, uvel, from Old English yfel, from Proto-West Germanic *ubil, from Proto-Germanic *ubilaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂up(h₁)élos, a deverbal derivative of *h₂wep(h₁)-, *h₂wop(h₁)- (“treat badly”). See -le for the supposed suffix. Alternatively from *upélos (“evil”, literally “going over or beyond (acceptable limits)”), from Proto-Indo-European *upo, *h₃ewp- (“down, up, over”). ==== Adjective ==== evil (comparative eviller or eviler or more evil, superlative evillest or evilest or most evil) Intending to harm; malevolent. 2006, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Wizard of the Crow, New York: Pantheon, Book Three, Section II, Chapter 3, p. 351,[4] “Before this, I never had any cause to suspect my wife of any conspiracy.” “You mean it never crossed your mind that she might have been told to whisper evil thoughts in your ear at night?” Morally corrupt. Unpleasant, foul (of odor, taste, mood, weather, etc.). 1660, John Harding (translator), Paracelsus his Archidoxis, London: W.S., Book 7, “Of an Odoriferous Specifick,” p. 100,[8] An Odoriferous Specifick […] is a Matter that takes away Diseases from the Sick, no otherwise then as Civet drives away the stinck of Ordure by its Odour; for you are to observe, That the Specifick doth permix it self with this evil Odour of the Dung; and the stink of the Dung cannot hurt, no[r] abide there […] 1937, Robert Byron, The Road to Oxiana, London: Macmillan, Part V, “Mazar-i-Sherif,” p. 282,[9] It was an evil day, sticky and leaden: Oxiana looked as colourless and suburban as India. Producing or threatening sorrow, distress, injury, or calamity; unpropitious; calamitous. (obsolete) Having harmful qualities; not good; worthless or deleterious. (computing, programming, slang) Undesirable; harmful; bad practice. ===== Synonyms ===== nefarious malicious malevolent wicked See also Thesaurus:evil ===== Antonyms ===== good ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Noun ==== evil (countable and uncountable, plural evils) Moral badness; wickedness; malevolence; the forces or behaviors that are the opposite or enemy of good. Synonym: enormity Something which impairs the happiness of a being or deprives a being of any good; something which causes suffering of any kind to sentient beings; harm; injury; mischief. (obsolete) A malady or disease; especially in combination, as in king's evil, colt evil. ===== Antonyms ===== good ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== References ==== === Etymology 2 === From Middle English yvel, evel, ivel, uvel, from Old English yfele (“badly, evilly”), a derivative of the adjective yfel (“bad, evil”). Often reinterpreted as the noun in the later language (as in "to speak evil"). ==== Adverb ==== evil (comparative more evil, superlative most evil) (obsolete) wickedly, evilly, iniquitously (obsolete) injuriously, harmfully; in a damaging way. (obsolete) badly, poorly; in an insufficient way. ===== Usage notes ===== This adverb was usually used in conjunction with speak. ===== References ===== James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Evil, adv.”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume III (D–E), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 350, column 2. === Anagrams === Levi, Viel, live, veil, vile, vlei == Middle English == === Etymology 1 === ==== Adjective ==== evil alternative form of yvel (“evil”) === Etymology 2 === ==== Adverb ==== evil alternative form of yvel (“evilly”)