from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Evil \E*vil\ ([=e]"v'l) a. [OE. evel, evil, ifel, uvel, AS.
yfel; akin to OFries, evel, D. euvel, OS. & OHG. ubil, G.
["u]bel, Goth. ubils, and perh. to E. over.]
1. Having qualities tending to injury and mischief; having a
nature or properties which tend to badness; mischievous;
not good; worthless or deleterious; poor; as, an evil
beast; and evil plant; an evil crop.
[1913 Webster]
A good tree can not bring forth evil fruit. --Matt.
vii. 18.
[1913 Webster]
2. Having or exhibiting bad moral qualities; morally corrupt;
wicked; wrong; vicious; as, evil conduct, thoughts, heart,
words, and the like.
[1913 Webster]
Ah, what a sign it is of evil life,
When death's approach is seen so terrible. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
3. Producing or threatening sorrow, distress, injury, or
calamity; unpropitious; calamitous; as, evil tidings; evil
arrows; evil days.
[1913 Webster]
Because he hath brought up an evil name upon a
virgin of Israel. --Deut. xxii.
19.
[1913 Webster]
The owl shrieked at thy birth -- an evil sign.
--Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Evil news rides post, while good news baits.
--Milton.
[1913 Webster]
{Evil eye}, an eye which inflicts injury by some magical or
fascinating influence. It is still believed by the
ignorant and superstitious that some persons have the
supernatural power of injuring by a look.
[1913 Webster]
It almost led him to believe in the evil eye. --J.
H. Newman.
{Evil speaking}, speaking ill of others; calumny;
censoriousness.
{The evil one}, the Devil; Satan.
[1913 Webster]
Note: Evil is sometimes written as the first part of a
compound (with or without a hyphen). In many cases the
compounding need not be insisted on. Examples: Evil
doer or evildoer, evil speaking or evil-speaking, evil
worker, evil wishing, evil-hearted, evil-minded.
Syn: Mischieveous; pernicious; injurious; hurtful;
destructive; wicked; sinful; bad; corrupt; perverse;
wrong; vicious; calamitous.
[1913 Webster]