evilness
|e-vil-ness|
🇺🇸
/ˈiːvəlnəs/
🇬🇧
/ˈiːv(ə)lnəs/
the quality of being evil
Etymology
'evilness' originates from English, specifically formed from the adjective 'evil' + the suffix '-ness' in Middle English where '-ness' formed nouns denoting a state or quality.
'evil' came from Old English 'yfel' (meaning 'bad, hostile'), which derived from Proto-Germanic '*ubilaz'; the abstract noun 'evilness' developed in Middle English by adding the Old English-derived suffix '-ness' to 'evil'.
Initially the roots referred broadly to 'bad' or 'harmful'; over time 'evilness' has come to denote specifically the quality or state of being morally bad or wicked.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the quality or state of being evil; wickedness or moral badness.
The evilness of his actions shocked the whole town.
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Noun 2
extreme or profound wickedness often seen as a force or presence (usually used in literary or moral contexts).
They spoke of the evilness that seemed to haunt the old house.
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Last updated: 2025/08/29 05:01