evil
gb/ˈivəl/ us/ˈivəl/
B1
English
~ 3100
gonoszság, gonosz, baj, káros jelenség, szükséges rossz
NOUN
B1
1
Usage pattern:
[someone]/[something] is evil
The movie tells the story of a hero fighting against evil.
A film egy hősről szól, aki a gonosz ellen harcol.
Many believe greed is the root of all evil.
Sokan úgy vélik, hogy a kapzsiság minden rossz gyökere.
They joined together to stop the spread of evil in the world.
Evil can take many different forms.
The dictator's actions were pure evil.
Learner examples
He fought against the evil in his town.
A városában jelen lévő gonoszság ellen küzdött.
Greed is a kind of evil.
A kapzsiság a gonoszság egyik formája.
She wants to stop evil from growing.
Evil hurts people.
Evil is the opposite of good.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'evil' (moral badness) with 'bad' (general poor quality). 'Evil' is stronger and more about morality.
Meaning
Profound immorality or wickedness
Collocations
forces of evil
|good and evil
|root of evil
|pure evil
|battle against evil
Synonyms
wickedness (Slightly less formal and can also be playful in tone in some contexts.)
|
immorality (Focuses on breaking moral rules, not necessarily with malicious intent.)
Antonyms
goodness (Represents moral virtue and kindness, the opposite of moral wrong.)
|
virtue (Focuses on high moral standards, directly opposing moral corruption.)
Themes
morality
|ethics
|society
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Great badness or wrongdoing that hurts people or is against moral rules.
The quality of being profoundly immoral, harmful, or wicked.
B1
2
gonosz
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone]/[something] is evil
The villain had an evil plan to take over the city.
A gazembernek gonosz terve volt arra, hogy átvegye az uralmat a város felett.
She gave him an evil look before leaving the room.
Gonosz pillantást vetett rá, mielőtt kiment a szobából.
An evil dictator ruled the country for decades.
They believed the old house was haunted by an evil spirit.
He was punished for his evil deeds.
Learner examples
That man is very evil.
Az a férfi nagyon gonosz.
She has an evil dog that bites people.
Van egy gonosz kutyája, amelyik megharapja az embereket.
He made an evil plan to hurt them.
The witch is evil in the story.
An evil person wants to do harm.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'evil' for things that are simply unpleasant. It should be reserved for morally bad or harmful things.
Meaning
Morally very bad or harmful
Collocations
evil plan
|evil person
|evil deed
|evil spirit
|evil eyes
Synonyms
wicked (Can be lighter in tone in informal speech, but serious in moral contexts.)
|
malevolent (Formal; emphasizes having harmful intent toward others.)
Antonyms
good (General opposite; morally right or kind.)
|
kind (Focuses on a caring and gentle nature.)
Themes
morality
|ethics
|core_vocabulary
|emotions
Definition
Very bad and cruel; wanting to hurt people or cause trouble.
Morally very bad, cruel, or causing great harm.
NOUN
B2
3
Corruption is one of the major evils facing the nation.
A korrupció az egyik legsúlyosabb baj, amellyel az országnak szembe kell néznie.
Some see taxes as a necessary evil.
Vannak, akik az adókat szükséges rossznak tartják.
Poverty is a social evil that must be addressed.
War brings many evils to society.
Learner examples
Poverty is an evil in the city.
A szegénység nagy baj a városban.
Some people think taxes are a necessary evil.
Vannak, akik szerint az adók szükséges rossznak számítanak.
Corruption is an evil we must stop.
War is an evil for everyone.
Meaning
Harmful force or influence
Collocations
social evils
|necessary evil
|lesser of two evils
Synonyms
harm (General term for damage or injury, without moral judgment.)
|
ill (Formal; refers to harm or problems caused.)
Antonyms
benefit (Something that helps or improves a situation.)
|
blessing (Something good and helpful, often seen as fortunate.)
Themes
society
|danger
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Something that causes harm or trouble, even if it is not about morality.
A destructive or harmful force, influence, or factor, not necessarily moral.
Grammar
Dictionary form
evil
IPA
GB/ˈivəl/
US/ˈivəl/
Syllables & stress
evil (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (evil)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: evil
Noun
- Base: evil
- Plural: evil, evils
Word family
Forms
evils
noun
Related words
evilly
adverb
evildoer
noun
Negative and opposite forms
good
adjective A1
Advanced or less common
evildoing
noun
Expressions
necessary evil
1/nˈɛsɪsˌɛɹi ˈivəl/
fixed phrase
Bad but needed thing
Something bad or unpleasant that you must accept to get a result you want.
Examples
- For many commuters, traffic jams are a necessary evil.
- Some people think exams are a necessary evil in education.
root of all evil
1/ɹˈut əv ˈɔl ˈivəl/
fixed phrase
Main cause of all bad things
The main reason why bad things happen.
Examples
- Some say money is the root of all evil.
- Greed is often called the root of all evil.
the lesser of two evils
1/ðə lˈɛsɚ əv tˈu ˈivəlz/
fixed phrase
Choosing the less bad option
When you must choose between two bad things, you pick the one that is not as bad.
Examples
- Voters felt they were choosing the lesser of two evils in the election.
- I didn’t like either job offer, but I chose the lesser of two evils.