Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Wicked character, quality, or disposition; depravity or corruption of heart; evil disposition; sinfulness: as, the wickedness of a man or of an action.
  • noun Wicked conduct; evil practices; active immorality; vice; crime; sin.
  • noun A wicked thing or act; an act of iniquity.
  • noun Figuratively, the wicked.
  • noun Synonyms Unrighteousness, villainy, rascality, knavery, atrocity, iniquity, enormity. See references under wicked.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The quality or state of being wicked; departure from the rules of the divine or the moral law; evil disposition or practices; immorality; depravity; sinfulness.
  • noun A wicked thing or act; crime; sin; iniquity.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The state of being wicked; evil disposition; immorality.
  • noun A wicked or sinful thing or act; morally bad or objectionable behaviour.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the quality of being wicked
  • noun estrangement from god
  • noun morally objectionable behavior
  • noun the quality of being disgusting to the senses or emotions
  • noun absence of moral or spiritual values

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

wicked +‎ -ness

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word wickedness.

Examples

  • Shakespeare, whose mind was more intent upon notions than words, had in his thoughts the pulchritude of virtue, and the deformity of wickedness; and though he had mentioned _wickedness_, made the correlative answer to _deformity_.

    Notes to Shakespeare, Volume III: The Tragedies Samuel Johnson 1746

  • If we are to suppose that man might have been created or developed with none of those extremes of character which now often result in what we call wickedness, vice, or crime, there would certainly have been a greater monotony in human nature, which would, perhaps, have led to less beneficial results than the variety which actually exists may lead to.

    Alfred Russel Wallace Letters and Reminiscences Marchant, James 1916

  • Some of these good folk, for example, play the piano more sedulously than that instrument, in my opinion, deserves; yet are mightily indignant, in talk with me, at what they call the wickedness of teaching multitudes of poor children to play upon pianos provided by the rates.

    From a Cornish Window A New Edition Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch 1903

  • Cyaxares the Mede in 625 B.C. See on [1147] Jon 3: 3. cry -- (Isa 40: 6; 58: 1). come up before me -- (Ge 4: 10; 6: 13; 18: 21; Ezr 9: 6; Re 18: 5); that is, their wickedness is so great as to require My open interposition for punishment.

    Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 1871

  • This wickedness is the legitimate outgrowth of that system of slavery which originated the rebellion, and debauched, from time immemorial, all the finer instincts of man.

    The Martyred President: A Sermon Preached in the First Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn, N. Y. 1865

  • There he lies quietly, and neither he nor his wickedness is any more remembered than a tree which is broken to shivers.

    Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume III (Job to Song of Solomon) 1721

  • The wild-dog was maturer than Jerry, larger-bodied, and wiser in wickedness; but Jerry was blue-blooded, right-selected, and valiant.

    CHAPTER III 2010

  • The second Regency Pleasure Emporium brothel tale (see WHEN A LADY MISBEHAVES) stars a charming “bad girl” whose wickedness is to write sensual letters enticing the male Ton to come to the bordello.

    Gentlemen Behaving Badly-Michelle Marcos « The Merry Genre Go Round Reviews 2008

  • I ` m just not getting any sense of dissatisfaction with the infernal dynasty and its and its shrieking delight in wickedness … …

    Harman Must Be Ritually Slaughtered Newmania 2007

  • I ` m just not getting any sense of dissatisfaction with the infernal dynasty and its and its shrieking delight in wickedness … …

    Archive 2007-10-21 Newmania 2007

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.