adj

wicked

WIHK-ihd

adj

Morally bad; evil or cruel.

"The story's villain was a truly wicked queen."

"It was a wicked thing to say to a child."

Harsh, severe, or unpleasant.

"There's a wicked chill in the air tonight."

"He's got a wicked temper when things go wrong."

(informal) Excellent or impressive.

"That's a wicked guitar solo."

"We had a wicked time at the festival."

How to Use Wicked

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishUsually means evil or severe, but in casual speech (especially British and New England slang) it can flip to mean "great".

When to use it

The "excellent" sense is informal slang; the "evil" sense is standard in all registers.

Common pairings

wicked sense of humour wicked stepmother wicked witch

wickeder comparative, more wicked comparative, the wicked plural, wickedest superlative, most wicked superlative

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The story's villain was a truly _____ queen.

From Middle English wikke ("morally bad"), of uncertain origin, possibly linked to an old word for a sorcerer.

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