wicked

The word “wicked” means morally bad; evil or cruel. In plain terms, usually means evil or severe, but in casual speech (especially British and New England slang) it can flip to mean "great".

“Wicked” is pronounced WIHK-ihd (/ˈwɪk.ɪd/ in IPA).

Here is “wicked” used in a sentence: “The story's villain was a truly wicked queen.”

“Wicked” is an adjective.

The word “wicked” comes from Middle English. From Middle English wikke ("morally bad"), of uncertain origin, possibly linked to an old word for a sorcerer.

“Wicked” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.

“Wicked” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: morally bad; evil or cruel.

The core meaning of wicked is morally bad, evil, or cruel, but in informal slang it flips to mean excellent or impressive, as in 'that concert was wicked.' Context and tone make the intended sense clear: serious or formal writing almost always uses the 'evil' meaning, while the positive sense belongs to casual speech.

Both words describe moral badness, but evil is usually stronger and more absolute, suggesting profound immorality. Wicked can be somewhat lighter, and it is also used of harsh or unpleasant things, as in 'a wicked wind' or 'a wicked headache,' where no real evil is implied.

Naughty describes mild misbehaviour, especially in children, while wicked in its standard sense means genuinely morally bad, evil, or cruel. Calling someone wicked is a serious moral judgement; calling them naughty rarely is.