Wondering what it means to be wicked? If so, you’re in the right place! Read on to discover everything you need to know about the meaning of wicked.

If you’re a die-hard fan of Stephen Schwartz’s and Winnie Holzmans’ breathtaking adaptation of Gregory Maguires’ novel about a land where animals talk or you fancy yourself a witch , you’ve likely come across the term wicked before— but what exactly does it mean? And where did it come from? We’ll tell you.

In this article, we’re diving headfirst into the word wicked to uncover its definition, origin, synonyms, antonyms, and more. So if you’ve ever wondered what wicked means or are simply feeling a bit witchy — keep reading. Here’s our complete guide on the word wicked.

What Is the Definition of Wicked?

According to the Collins Dictionary, wicked (ˈwɪkɪd ) describes something or someone who is bad or deliberately harmful to people.

In a separate definition provided by the Oxford English Dictionary, wicked is defined as evil or morally wrong. Additionally, Lexico says wicked can mean playfully mischievous.

Simply put, the term wicked has two meanings:

If something (or someone) is “pure wicked,” then it is wicked
When used as an informal slang term, “wicked” means excellent

In other words, wicked can be used as either an adjective (in the sense of “awesome, superlative, or extreme”) or as an intensifying adverb (“very, extremely”).

What Is the Origin of Wicked?

Even though many folks think the word “wicked” originates from The Wizard of Oz, the traditional use of “wicked” used for “bad” actually dates back to the 13th century. That being said, the word wicked is believed to come from the Old English word wicca meaning “wizard.”

The female equivalent of wicca was wicce, which is where the word witch comes from — hence why the terms “wicked” and “witch” are closely related in origin.

What Are the Synonyms and Antonyms of Wicked?

To further your understanding of a term, it can be helpful to study its synonyms and antonyms. Synonyms are words or phrases with the same of nearly the same meaning, whereas antonyms are words or phrases with opposite meanings.

Learning the synonyms and antonyms of our word of the day won’t just improve your overall understanding of the term wicked, but it can also help you to express yourself more clearly.

After reviewing a thesaurus, you’ll find that wicked has a ton of synonyms, including:

Sinful
Devilish
Evil
Impish
Nasty
Mischievous
Naughty
Vicious
Villainous
Wayward
Wrong
Unholy
Wrongful
Bad
Iniquitous
Corrupt
Black-hearted
Irreligious
Ungodly
Unrighteous
Offensive
Hateful
Monstrous
Felonious
Dark

Just as there are many synonyms, wicked has many antonyms, such as:

Good
Innocent
Just
Lawful
Meritorious
Right
Legal
Virtuous
Pleasant
Religious
Upright
Righteous
Pure
Honorable
Decent
Sinless
Immaculate
Incorrupt
Pious

Example Sentences Using Wicked

Now that you know all about the word wicked, let’s put your newfound knowledge to the test — quiz yourself to see how many sentences you can come up with using wicked. If you still need some help, feel free to check our usage examples listed below:

Wow, that shirt is wicked cool!

When Agatha returned from New England, she described her ex as a wicked, wicked man.

He fell in love with Nancy because of her wicked sense of humor.

Uh-oh, there’s a wicked odor that smells unbelievably foul coming from the closet.

If you ask us, it’s no surprise that wicked people played a wicked prank at school.

Thanks to my wicked cough and raspy voice, I was sent home from work in fear that I might have the coronavirus.

Whether it was because of his wicked wit or wicked sense of humor, Tom finally won a date with his dream girl, Samantha.

If you smell a wicked stench that wreaks of rotten eggs — in other words, it’s highly offensive — you’ve likely come into contact with a skunk and should move out of the ‘spray zone’ swiftly.

After returning from the gas station, my brother warned me that the wicked prices continue to go up.

I’m not too sure what happened between the two of you, but Tamra said she loved the ‘wicked thing’ that you did.

Apparently, the American English definition of wicked is pretty much the same as the British English definition of wicked.

Summary

From the Old English wicca, wicked is a term that has become increasingly popular over the years, but what exactly does it mean? In short, wicked is used to describe something or someone purely wicked — such as Darth Vadar or Lord Voldemort.

It’s also used as a slang word that means excellent — for example, “that musician is wicked awesome.” You may have also seen wicked used to describe something that is playfully malicious or mischievous. Someone might have wicked wit or a wicked sense of humor.

In addition, wicked can also mean something that, while not actively evil, is still unpleasant and/or extremely bad. Your midterm exams can be wicked, as can your bestie’s temper or the traffic during rush hour.

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Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.