/ ˈiːvl; NAmE ; ˈiːvɪl/ adjective , noun
■ adjective
1.
( of people ) enjoying harming others; morally bad and cruel :
an evil man
an evil grin
2.
having a harmful effect on people; morally bad :
evil deeds
the evil effects of racism
3.
connected with the Devil and with what is bad in the world :
evil spirits
4.
extremely unpleasant :
an evil smell
•
IDIOMS
- the evil hour / day / moment
—more at brew noun , genius noun
■ noun ( formal )
1.
[ U ] a force that causes bad things to happen; morally bad behaviour :
the eternal struggle between good and evil
the forces of evil
You cannot pretend there's no evil in the world.
OPP good
2.
[ C , usually pl. ] a bad or harmful thing; the bad effect of sth :
the evils of drugs / alcohol
social evils
•
IDIOMS
see lesser , necessary
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English yfel , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch euvel and German Übel .