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
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
Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
The royal palace is infested with evil spirits and one of them has taken hold of the young prince.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Like him, Hur Jin-ho is concerned with the fragility of moral standing and how mercurial these not-so-concrete notions of right and wrong can be when evil sleeps just down the hall.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for evil
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.
Adjective
While the practice of using haint blue to ward off evil spirits might not be as common, the color has bled into the mainstream, with major paint companies like Sherwin-Williams and PPG Industries, Inc selling paint inspired by the shade.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
The royal palace is infested with evil spirits and one of them has taken hold of the young prince.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
Lucas loved the idealistic adventure reels of the ’30s and ’40s where good and evil were divided by a fresh coat of paint.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Like him, Hur Jin-ho is concerned with the fragility of moral standing and how mercurial these not-so-concrete notions of right and wrong can be when evil sleeps just down the hall.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for evil
Cite this Entry
“Evil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evil. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
evil
2 of 2 noun1
: something that brings sorrow, trouble, or destruction
2
: the fact of suffering or wrongdoing
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share