wickedness

noun

ˈwi-kəd-nəs How to pronounce wickedness (audio)
Definition of wickednessnext
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wickedness Pearl revels in wickedness, presenting a literary world in which a successful writer’s haughtiness is both encouraged and rewarded. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025 Given that Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) has given the town of Oz the illusion that Glinda is the force of good magic protecting them from Elphaba's wickedness, the bubble — which is operated by foot pedal — allows Glinda to appear magical. — Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025 The crucial role of the broomstick in the Wicked movies—and earlier Wizard of Oz stories—reflects a long history of women’s mobility being connected to perceptions of wickedness, as women reclaimed a tool of domestic labor to gain both physical and social liberation. — Time, 21 Nov. 2025 Unlike horror movies built on shadowy boogeymen bouncing out of the dark, The Witch's tone stays quiet, swarming around themes of bewitchery, black magic, and wickedness without overdoing it. — Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wickedness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wickedness
  1. mischief
  2. sinfulness
  3. playfulness
  4. badness
  5. atrocity
  6. evilness
Noun
  • The stagehands finally lowered the elevated side of the stage, ended their mischief, and Belafonte began singing.
    — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
  • McConaughey is glad to tell a story about some mischief on set.
    — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of mischief
Noun
  • But soon after, in Genesis 18, God tells Abraham of plans to investigate reports of sinfulness in Sodom and Gomorrah.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
  • Denver author Josiah Hesse was raised by Evangelical parents in churches that believe in the torments of hell, that their poverty is due to their sinfulness and lack of faith.
    — Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
Definition of sinfulness
Noun
  • Lightening the darkness of the story in the early scenes are the playfulness, banter and sexiness Lou and James.
    — Frank Rizzo, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Gemini May 21 – June 20 Deep feelings meet a spark of playfulness.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of playfulness
Noun
  • On one side, a satanic figure named Randall Flagg who gathers his forces of badness to Las Vegas; on the other, the good guys, led by 108-year-old Mother Abigail in, of all places, Boulder.
    — Barbara Ellis, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
  • The show premiered over Thanksgiving weekend, when people were tired and full and bored (and probably also horny), and countered our world’s unceasing badness with its world’s buoyant sweetness.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Definition of badness
Noun
  • Emergency Lawyers, an independent group documenting atrocities in Sudan, said a drone targeted a group of civilians traveling Thursday in the desert town of Sowdari in North Korodofan state.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • These images laid the foundation and the ideology for every atrocity that has been committed against my people.
    — Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of atrocity
Noun
  • That was really what helped me into the character and into her evilness.
    — William Earl, Variety, 4 Oct. 2025
Definition of evilness

Browse Nearby Words

wickedly
wickedness
wicket
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Cite this Entry

“Wickedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wickedness. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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