wicked
/'wikid/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Morally bad or evil; sinful: Describes a person or action that is profoundly immoral, evil, or deliberately wrong.
- Playfully mischievous or roguish: Describes behavior that is naughty in a charming or teasing way, without serious malice.
- Extremely unpleasant or severe: Used informally to describe something that is very bad, intense, or formidable.
Usage and Examples
Morally bad/evil:
- The witch in the story was a wicked character who cursed the village.
- He was punished for his wicked deeds.
Playfully mischievous:
- She gave me a wicked grin before revealing the surprise.
- The children were being wicked, hiding their father's slippers.
Extremely unpleasant/severe (informal):
- I've had a wicked headache all day.
- The car skidded on the wicked ice during the storm.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
"Wicked" as an intensifier (informal, chiefly British & regional): Used to mean "excellent" or "remarkable." This is a slang reversal of meaning.
- That was a wicked guitar solo!
- We had a wicked time at the festival.
"The Wicked": Used as a plural noun to refer to evil people collectively.
- In many tales, the wicked never prosper in the end.
Variants and Related Words
Wickedly (adverb): In a wicked manner.
- He laughed wickedly as he played the trick.
Wickedness (noun): The quality or state of being wicked.
- The wickedness of the crime shocked the community.
Synonyms
- Evil, sinful, immoral, villainous (for moral sense).
- Mischievous, impish, roguish, naughty (for playful sense).
- Severe, terrible, awful, dreadful (for intensity sense).
Idioms and Fixed Phrases
No rest for the wicked: A humorous saying used when one has to keep working hard, implying (jokingly) that the work is a punishment for being wicked.
- "You're working late again?" "Yes, no rest for the wicked."
The wicked witch: A common archetype in fairy tales representing evil magic.
- The story's main antagonist was the wicked witch of the west.
Adjective
- highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
- a disgusting smell
- distasteful language
- a loathsome disease
- the idea of eating meat is repellent to me
- revolting food
- a wicked stench
- naughtily or annoyingly playful
- teasing and worrying with impish laughter
- a wicked prank
- intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality
- severe pain
- a severe case of flu
- a terrible cough
- under wicked fire from the enemy's guns
- a wicked cough
- having committed unrighteous acts
- a sinful person
- morally bad in principle or practice