(a) Of a person, the soul, etc.: morally perverse, iniquitous, bad; also fig.; of a demon, the devil: evil; of God: capable of evil; ~ hals, ?one meant to hang by the neck, specif. one who is obdurate in vice; also, a traitor; (b) of an action, a practice, thought, etc.: prompted by an evil impulse; sinful; also fig.; also, barbaric [quot. a1450 Mandev.(3)]; (c) tending to spread malice; also fig.; also, insidious in promoting evil, pernicious; of a planet: malign; ~ tonge;—also person.; ~ tonged men; (d) resulting from or permeated with sin; (e) as noun: one who is iniquitous or evil;—also coll.

(a) Causing harm, pain, or injury; distressing; also in fig. context; also, unwholesome, unhealthful; (b) ferocious; also, fierce; (c) unpleasant, loathsome, noisome; (d) tending to cause disease, pathogenic; also, resulting in ill health [quot. a1425].

(a) Difficult, troublesome;—used with inf.; also, unmanageable; (b) hazardous, treacherous, dangerous; also in fig. context.

(a) Poor in quality, inferior; also in fig. context; (b) miserable, wretched, unfortunate; also, undesirable; as noun: one who is wretched [last quot.]; (c) infected, diseased; also in fig. context [last quot.]; also, unwell; also, abnormal; ~ cough, ?consumption; ?whooping cough; (d) disreputable.

(a) The word ‘wikkede’; also in play on the name Mauni (OF mal ni); (b) mistransl. of L nequaquam as nequam ‘vile’.