Definition evil
Etymology
From Middle English evel, ivel, uvel, from Old English yfel, from Proto-Germanic *ubilaz (compare Saterland Frisian eeuwel, Dutch euvel, Low German övel, German übel), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂upélos, diminutive of *h₂wep-, *h₂wap- (“treat badly”) (compare Hittite [script needed] (huwappi, “to mistreat, harass”), [script needed] (huwappa, “evil, badness”)), or alternatively from *upélos (“evil”, literally “going over or beyond (acceptable limits)”), from Proto-Indo-European *upo, *up, *eup (“down, up, over”).
Adjective
evil (comparative eviller or eviler or more evil, superlative evillest or evilest or most evil)
- Intending to harm; malevolent.
- Morally corrupt.
- Unpleasant, foul (of odour, taste, mood, weather, etc.).
- 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
Noun
evil (countable and uncountable, plural evils)
- Moral badness; wickedness; malevolence; the forces or behaviors that are the opposite or enemy of good.
- Anything which impairs the happiness of a being or deprives a being of any good; anything which causes suffering of any kind to sentient beings; injury; mischief; harm.
- (obsolete) A malady or disease; especially in the phrase king's evil (scrofula).