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
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2
as in immoral
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable
their evil deeds rank among the worst in history
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3
as in ugly
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
she refused to eat olives or anything which had their evil flavor
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of evil
Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026
Representing a fierce mythical demon or gatekeeper, the bulky figure would have warded off evil and protected the temple’s sacred space.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 11 June 2026
Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
After the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto) snatches his parents, Adam is plucked out of Eternia and returns years later from the human world to assume his true identity as He-Man and save the planet.
—Matt Minton, Variety, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for evil
Noun
For African Americans, presidential elections have almost always been exercises in lesser evils and harm reduction.
—Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026
Representing a fierce mythical demon or gatekeeper, the bulky figure would have warded off evil and protected the temple’s sacred space.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 11 June 2026
Adjective
Based on the iconic Roald Dahl book of the same name, the movie follows the young Matilda, who is forced to put up with her abusive parents and her evil principal, Miss Trunchbull.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
After the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto) snatches his parents, Adam is plucked out of Eternia and returns years later from the human world to assume his true identity as He-Man and save the planet.
—Matt Minton, Variety, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for evil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for evil
Noun
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Naturally, the meeting is a flop because no one was prepared, and their spontaneous ideas are frankly fireable-offense bad (a baguette bag shaped like a baguette for Paris?—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
18 Dec. 2025
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In times when the city's bad seems to overshadow the good, Daniels and others like him can be a guidepost for generations to come.—
Sophia Tiedge,
jsonline.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But others say research in Australia has shown that age verification is difficult to enforce, and that a blanket ban seemed to be a snap decision that does not address a deeper problem — the way social media algorithms push harmful content to young people.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
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There were also die-offs of seals, sea lions and marine birds, Leising said, probably from a combination of a lack of food and harmful algal blooms, and less food out there for baleen whales.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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Religious practitioners may also regard nonheterosexual orientations or non-cisgender identities as immoral or otherwise inconsistent with their religious beliefs.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 June 2026
-
Republicans, grow a spine and stop the immoral president.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Both state and church are also known for failing to live up to those ideals, for permitting indefensible abuses, for ugly histories.—
Joe Mathews,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
-
Featuring the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a regular series dedicated to unpacking the most talked about outfit of the last seven days.—
Fiona Sinclair Scott,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Because, so far, my instincts are all dead wrong.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
18 June 2026
-
The streamer got that one wrong.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
That is exactly why these fake job offers are so dangerous.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
-
Over the last week, the greatest threat of dangerous rip currents and sneaker waves has been on the beaches facing south or southwest, officials said.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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The filing, submitted in the San Diego County Superior Court, seeks a judge’s order to condemn and destroy the embargoed kratom products, halt ongoing unlawful manufacturing and impose civil penalties.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the court's opinion that unlawful drug use alone cannot be grounds to seek to send someone to prison and potentially force them to give up firearms for life.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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With its violent and disgusting script, Se7en defied Hollywood conventions and was a perfect match for David Fincher, who was then known for directing Alien 3 (1992) along with gritty and inventive music videos.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
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The president announced the work in April during an unrelated Oval Office appearance, saying he was inspired by complaints from a friend visiting from Germany who called the pool dark and disgusting.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Evil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/evil. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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