1
as in mischief
playful, reckless behavior that is not intended to cause serious harm
a couple of live wires who got into all kinds of wickedness during their vacation in Las Vegas
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sinfulness
the state or quality of being utterly evil
the movie featured a villain of unadulterated wickedness
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Recent Examples of wickedness
Good is not assured victory over evil in Shakespeare, though wickedness sets in motion those forces that will hasten the end of its ride.
—
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
The Year of the Dragon, which began on Feb. 10, 2024, ended Tuesday to begin the Year of the Snake.
Snakes in Chinese mythology aren't manifestations of wickedness or evil as in Western cultures.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025
Less familiar is the part that his American wife, Fanny Stevenson (née Van de Grift), played in juicing up the story’s plot to establish Edward Hyde’s wickedness early on.
—Tobias Grey, airmail.news, 10 Aug. 2024
Burkhart’s wickedness is more intimate, more complex, more human.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wickedness
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
The Year of the Dragon, which began on Feb. 10, 2024, ended Tuesday to begin the Year of the Snake.
Snakes in Chinese mythology aren't manifestations of wickedness or evil as in Western cultures.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025
Less familiar is the part that his American wife, Fanny Stevenson (née Van de Grift), played in juicing up the story’s plot to establish Edward Hyde’s wickedness early on.
—Tobias Grey, airmail.news, 10 Aug. 2024
Burkhart’s wickedness is more intimate, more complex, more human.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wickedness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wickedness
Noun
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Montesquieu was charged with fleeing a police car, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and obstructing governmental administration.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2025
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Garrett, who was paralyzed as a result of the crash, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, fleeing to elude high speed (serious bodily injury or death), battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence and criminal mischief.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Mustard and vinegar provide the devilment for a flavorful bite, particularly when topped with a scattering of scallions and paprika.—
SAVEUR Editors,
Saveur,
5 Feb. 2025
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But even if truffles are beyond your pay grade, there is plenty of enjoyment to be had in the sheer devilment portrayed in this informative and appetizing book.—
Eugenia Bone,
WSJ,
10 July 2019
Noun
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Additionally, it was feared that acknowledgment of Khmer Rouge atrocities would validate the U.S. military endeavors in Indochina, which many people — especially leading scholars — had come to excoriate.—
Ray Cavanaugh,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2025
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Such eye-opening depictions of 19th and 20th-century atrocities, much like the contemporary accounts on the issue of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women, are not merely instructive, but necessary.—
Joe Leydon,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wickedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wickedness. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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