Standard Lemma guide

wickedness

noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈwɪkɪdnəs/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: W IH1 K AH0 D N AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state of being wicked; evil disposition; immorality.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dishonour, indecency, unrighteousness, immorality, improbity, impropriety, undecency, ungodliness, unhonour, unprobity, unpropriety, unrightfulness, unsaintliness, unseemliness, unuprightness, unvirtuousness, wickedness, baseness, corruption, defilement, degeneracy, degradation, depravation, depravedness, depravity, impurity, iniquity, lewdity, malignity, misdoing, misguilt, obliquity, peccability, perversion, pollution, pravity, sin, sinfulness, turpitude, vitiation, wrongdoing

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A wicked or sinful thing or act; morally bad or objectionable behaviour.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: depravity, outrage, turpitude, atrocity, infamy, iniquity, wickedness, wrong

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

morally objectionable behavior

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: evil, immorality, iniquity

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: transgression, evildoing

Narrower terms: deviltry, devilry, foul play, irreverence, violation, sexual immorality

4

noun

Meaning 4

the quality of being disgusting to the senses or emotions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the vileness of his language surprised us

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: loathsomeness, repulsiveness, sliminess, vileness, lousiness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: offensiveness, odiousness, distastefulness

5

noun

Meaning 5

estrangement from god

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sin, sinfulness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: unrighteousness

Narrower terms: mark of Cain

6

noun

Meaning 6

the quality of being wicked

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: nefariousness, vileness, ugliness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: evil, evilness

Narrower terms: filthiness, enormity

7

noun

Meaning 7

absence of moral or spiritual values

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the powers of darkness

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: iniquity, darkness, dark

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: condition, status

Narrower terms: foulness

History

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English wikkednesse, wikkednes, equivalent to wicked + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

53 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: злоба (zloba) — state of being wicked
  • Bulgarian: лошотия (lošotija) — state of being wicked
  • Catalan: dolenteria — state of being wicked
  • Catalan: malícia — state of being wicked
  • Finnish: pahuus — state of being wicked
  • French: méchanceté — state of being wicked
  • French: perversité — state of being wicked
  • German: Bosheit — state of being wicked
  • Gothic: 𐌱𐌰𐌻𐍅𐌰𐍅𐌴𐍃𐌴𐌹 (balwawēsei) — state of being wicked
  • Ancient Greek: πονηρία (ponēría) — state of being wicked
  • Hebrew: רִשְׁעוּת — state of being wicked
  • Irish: áibhirseoireacht — state of being wicked
  • Irish: coireacht — state of being wicked
  • Irish: colaí — state of being wicked
  • Irish: díchúis — state of being wicked
  • Irish: lochtaíl — state of being wicked
  • Irish: mallaitheacht — state of being wicked
  • Irish: urchóideacht — state of being wicked
  • Italian: cattiveria — state of being wicked
  • Lao: ຄວາມຊົ່ວ (khuām sūa) — state of being wicked
  • Middle English: wikkednesse — state of being wicked
  • Occitan: marridesa — state of being wicked
  • Occitan: aulesa — state of being wicked
  • Occitan: malícia — state of being wicked
  • Occitan: perversitat — state of being wicked
  • Occitan: malesa — state of being wicked
  • Occitan: malor — state of being wicked
  • Occitan: emmaliment — state of being wicked
  • Occitan: marridariá — state of being wicked
  • Romagnol: cativēria — state of being wicked
  • Romanian: răutate — state of being wicked
  • Romanian: perversitate — state of being wicked
  • Romanian: ticăloșie — state of being wicked
  • Russian: злоба (zloba) — state of being wicked
  • Sanskrit: अधर्म (adharma) — state of being wicked
  • Sanskrit: निकृति (nikṛti) — state of being wicked
  • Spanish: maldad — state of being wicked
  • Spanish: perversidad — state of being wicked
  • Spanish: perversión — state of being wicked
  • Spanish: malicia — state of being wicked
  • Tamil: வில்லத்தனம் (villattaṉam) — state of being wicked
  • Tamil: பொல்லாத்தனம் (pollāttaṉam) — state of being wicked
  • Tocharian B: yolaiññe — state of being wicked
  • Ottoman Turkish: فساد (fesâd) — state of being wicked
  • Ukrainian: злочести́вість (zločestývistʹ) — state of being wicked
  • Bulgarian: злина (zlina) — wicked thing
  • Dutch: boosheid — wicked thing
  • French: iniquité — wicked thing
  • French: méchanceté — wicked thing
  • French: mauvaise action — wicked thing
  • Occitan: marridesa — wicked thing
  • Occitan: desaguici — wicked thing
  • Occitan: marridariá — wicked thing