wickedness
n. C1 Advanced US //ˈwɪkədnəs// UK //wˈɪkɪdnəs// wicked·ness
n. the quality of being very bad, cruel, or evil. It describes actions or people that are morally wrong.
n. the quality of being morally evil or wicked; the state of being guilty of serious wrongdoing.
The story is full of wickedness and betrayal.
The detective spent years trying to prove the wickedness of the accused, who had stolen from the poor.
The philosopher argued that the pursuit of power often leads to a kind of systemic wickedness that corrupts even the most well-intentioned institutions.
Inherited from Middle English wikkednesse, wikkednes, equivalent to wicked + -ness.
- Nounwickedness
- Adjectivewicked