ENGLISH
REFERENCE

wicked

adj. · adv.
US //ˈwɪkəd// wicked
  1. 1 evil or morally bad (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    morally bad, evil, or very cruel.

    morally depraved or sinful; characterized by a deliberate intent to cause harm or violate moral laws.

    Example

    In the story, the wicked queen tries to trick the princess with a poisoned apple.

    Example

    The philosopher argued that no human is born truly wicked, but rather that circumstances and choices shape a person's moral character.
  2. 2 excellent or cool (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Slang

    very good, impressive, or cool.

    denoting excellence or high quality; used as a positive evaluative descriptor in informal contexts.

    Example

    That was a wicked guitar solo at the end of the song.

    Example

    The skaters were performing some wicked tricks at the park, drawing a large crowd of impressed teenagers.

    Teacher's tip

    This sense is common in British English and certain American dialects; it is highly informal and should be avoided in professional writing.
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  1. 3 severe or harsh (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Literary

    very strong, unpleasant, or difficult to deal with.

    characterized by extreme intensity, often in a way that causes discomfort or distress.

    Example

    A wicked storm blew through the town, knocking down several old trees.

    Example

    The hikers were forced to turn back when a wicked wind began to howl across the exposed ridge.

    Usage

    Often used to describe weather, pain, or physical sensations.
  2. 4 very or extremely (adv.)
    C1 Advanced American English Dialect Slang

    used to mean 'very' or 'extremely' to make an adjective stronger.

    used as an intensifier to modify adjectives or adverbs; highly characteristic of specific regional dialects.

    Example

    The movie we saw last night was wicked funny.

    Example

    The traffic on the bridge was wicked slow this morning due to the construction work.

    Teacher's tip

    This is a famous marker of the Boston (New England) accent in the United States; using it elsewhere might sound unnatural unless you are mimicking that specific dialect.
Etymology 1

From Middle English wicked, wikked, an alteration of Middle English wicke, wikke (“morally perverse, evil, wicked”). Of uncertain origin. Possibly from an adjectival use of Old English wiċċa (“wizard, sorcerer”), from Proto-West Germanic *wikkō (“necromancer, sorcerer”), though the phonology makes this theory difficult to explain. Alternatively, perhaps related to English wicker, Old Norse víkja (“to bend to, yield, turn, move”), Swedish vika (“to bend, fold, give way to”), English weak. The "excellent, awesome" sense is an ameliorative semantic shift from the original sense of "evil, mischievous". Compare similar semantic development in terrific and sick.

Etymology 2

See wick.

Word family
Idioms1 entry

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