(sb., adv.) Forms: 3– wicked; also 4–6 wyck-, wikk-, wykk-, (chiefly Sc. vick-, vikk-); 3–5 -ed(e, (4 -ud), 4–5 -id(e, -yd(e, 4–6 Sc. -it, -yt; (4 wikcud, wekked, wikket, 5 weckid, 5–6, 9 Sc. wicket, 6 Sc. weckit); 4 wikid(e, (-ud, vikede, Sc. vikit, -yt), 4–5 wiked, Sc. wikyt, wykit, 4–6 Sc. wikit, 5 wyked, -yd; 4 Sc. wekit, (vekyt), 4–5 wekyd, 4–6 weked, 5 -ede, -id, 6 Sc. weikit. [ME. (13th cent.) wicked, wikked, app. f. WICK a., as wretched from wrecche WRETCH. The later wiked appears to be merely a graphic variant; forms with the lowered stem-vowel are of both types, wekked, weked.]
I. 1. Bad in moral character, disposition or conduct; inclined or addicted to wilful wrong-doing; practising or disposed to practise evil; morally depraved. (A term of wide application, but always of strong reprobation, implying a high degree of evil quality.) a. of a person (or a community of persons).
The Wicked One, the Devil, Satan.
c. 1275. Lay., 14983. Hercne ou ȝeo tock an, þes wickede [earlier text swicfulle] wifman.
1340. Ayenb., 1. Ich bidde þe hit by my sseld auoreye þe wycked uend.
13[?]. Cursor M., 170 (Gött.). Iesu wan he longe hade fast Was temped wid þe wicked [v.r. wikket] gast.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, x. (Mathou), 73. Mare reuerens Is gewine … To vekyt men fore dred … Þane to gudmen for luf.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 76. Of siche vikede men seiþ god bi his prophete [etc.].
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 2187. In al heþenis ys no Sarsyn wikkeder þan is he.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 2425. Ȝe at wickid ere within ay wickidly ȝe thinke.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 222. All wekyd spyrytys schall for ferd fle away from þe.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 32. Wikkit tyrane Emperouris.
1508. Dunbar, Tua Mariit Wemen, 214. My weckit kyn, that me away cast.
1533. Gau, Richt Vay (S.T.S.), 60. Thow vikkit seruand I forgaiff ye al thy det.
1535. Coverdale, Gen. xiii. 13. Ye men of Sodome were wicked, and synned exceadingly agaynst the Lorde.
1562. Winȝet, Cert. Tractatis, Wks. (S.T.S.), I. 5. Wes not the sacramentis … prophanit be ignorantis and wikit persones?
1567. Satir. Poems Reform., iv. 109. O wickit wemen, vennomus of nature!
1582. N. T. (Rhem.), Matt. xiii. 19. There cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sowen in his hart. Ibid., 1 John ii. 13. You haue ouercome the wicked one.
1610. Shaks., Temp., V. i. 130. You (most wicked Sir) whom to call brother Would euen infect my mouth.
1670. Milton, Hist. Eng., III. Wks. 1851, V. 130. Looking on the poor Christian with … Contempt; but fawning on the wickedest rich men.
1696. Whiston, The. Earth, III. iv. 207. This Deluge … was a signal Instance of the Divine Vengeance on a Wicked World.
1727. De Foe, Syst. Magic, I. ii. 58. ’Tis very strange Men should be so fond of being thought wickeder than they are.
1732. Berkeley, Alciphr., V. § 7. Vice increases, and men grow daily more and more wicked.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xv. ‘Then you are the wicked cause of my sister’s ruin?’ said Jeanie, with a natural touch of indignation.
1820. Coleridge, in Lit. Rem. (1838), III. 399. Bunyan was never, in our received sense of the word, wicked. He was chaste, sober, honest; but he was a bitter blackguard … and was fond of a row.
1873. Leland, Egypt. Sketch-Bk., 155. However wicked a man may be, he is sure to find a wickeder.
b. of action, speech, thought, or other personal attribute; also transf. of a thing connected in some way with such action, etc.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1227. Þai him warryd wit wickud dedis. Ibid., 12991. Na langer Mai i nu þi wicked wordes ber.
13[?]. Northern Passion (A), 506. [Satan] wyl the dryfe in wekyd þoughte.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. V. 217. Þenne was he a-schomed,… And gon … gret deol to make For his wikkede lyf þat he I-liued hedde.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, i. (Petrus), 474. Throw his wekit sorcery. Ibid., viii. (Philepus), 66. Wikit heresy.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 37. Wickid lawis & wrong execucions of hem.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 7424. They to Wicked Tonge comen That at his gate was syttyng.
1535. Coverdale, Ezek. viii. 9. What wicked abhominacions that they do.
1539. Bible (Great), 2 Chron. vii. 14. Yf they … do humble them selues … and turne from their wycked wayes.
1567. Satir. Poems Reform., iii. 176. Doggis could hir wickit bainis gnaw.
1602. Shaks., Ham., III. iii. 59.
| Offences gilded hand may shoue by Iustice, | |
| And oft ’tis seene, the wicked prize it selfe | |
| Buyes out the Law. |
1667. Milton, P. L., V. 890. Yet not for thy advise or threats I fly These wicked Tents devoted.
1727. De Foe, Syst. Magic, I. ii. 48. All the wicked things, which have … given a black Character to the very Name of a Magician; for under the shelter of Religion, the worst and most Diabolical things were practis’d.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, viii. ‘Yes, hang it’ (said Sir Pitt, only, he used, dear, a much wickeder word).
1878. H. Stevens, Bibles Caxton Exhib., 114. In 1855 Mr. Henry Stevens exhibited … a … copy of this long-lost … Bible [of 1631], and … nick-named it ‘The Wicked Bible,’ from the fact that the negative had been left out of the Seventh Commandment by a typographical error.
1905. R. Bagot, Passport, iii. 23. The mysterious old professor … who wrote wicked books.
2. Bad, in various senses (not always clearly distinguishable). Frequent in ME. use; later chiefly dial., or in colloq. use as a conscious metaphor (now often jocular) from sense 1, and implying ‘very or excessively bad,’ ‘horrid,’ ‘beastly.’ a. In reference to character or action: Cruel, severe, fierce. Of animals: Savage, vicious.
13[?]. Cursor M., 5571 (Gött.). Quat he was wicked and wode Again þat folk sua mild of mode!
1375. Creation, 980, in Horstm., Altengl. Leg. (1878), 136. Who so were … venympd wiþ eny wikked beste.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 3232. Woluez, and whilde swynne, and wykkyde bestez.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, I. x. 23. Quhat wise thi brothir Eneas … Is blawin and warpit euery coist abowt, Of wickit Juno throw the cruell invy [L. odiis Iunonis acerbæ].
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 308. As they [sc. horses] are wilde and fierce, so are they wicked and harmefull.
1725. Ramsay, Gentle Sheph., I. ii. If canker’d Madge, our aunt, Come up the burn, she’ll gie ’s a wicked rant.
1819. W. Tennant, Papistry Storm’d (1827), 7. Sae wud and wicket was their wraith [= wrath] Gainst Papish trash and idol-graith.
1829. Hogg, Sheph. Cal., i. 8. It ’s hard to gar a wicked cout leave off flinging.
1895. J. G. Millais, Breath from Veldt (1899), 228. The Cape buffalo … has ample power to carry out his evil intentions when he means to be wicked.
b. Actually or potentially harmful, destructive, disastrous or pernicious; baleful; when applied to air, odor, taste, etc., passing into: Offensive, foul.
1340. Ayenb., 124. Aye þe wykkede hetes … aye þe wyckede cheles … aye þe wyckede raynes.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, V. 12. To vyn the heling of thar hevede, That vikkit vyntir had thame revede.
1379. Glouc. Cath. MS. 19, No. I. I. iii. lf. 6 b. Wicked ayr or grevaunce, or cold takyng.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Monk’s T., 626. Thurgh his body wikked wormes crepte. Ibid. (c. 1391), Astrol., II. § 4. A fortunat assendent clepen they whan þat no wykkid planete, as saturne or Mars,… is in þe hows of the assendent.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., IV. xi. (1495), f v b/2. Flyes shunne & voyde the wycked & horryble sauour therof.
c. 1400. Maundev., xv. [xi]. (1919), 83. The perilous watres & wykkede mareys.
c. 1400. Song Roland, 857. The wekid wedur lastid full long.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 6511. If that wikkid deth hym haue I wole go with hym to his graue.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 5638. A wicked strok he him hit.
c. 1440. Alphabet of Tales, 59. When þe wykkid fyre was in howsis nere-hand hur.
c. 1460. Play Sacram., 267, in Non-Cycle Myst. Plays, 65. Alle wykkyd metys yt wylle degest.
c. 1480. Henryson, Test. Cress., 412. Fell is thy Fortoun, wickit is thy weird.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, II. lxxxix. 270. Fenell … is good agaynst … the bitings of … wicked & venimous beastes.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. xi. 24. Faire Amoret must dwell in wicked chaines.
1600. Breton, Pasquil’s Foole’s Cappe, Wks. (Grosart), I. 26/1. Who loues to feede vpon a Sallet dish, Among his Herbes some wicked weede may haue.
1610. Shaks., Temp., I. ii. 321. As wicked dewe, as ere my mother brush’d With Rauens feather from vnwholesome Fen, Drop on you both.
a. 1627. Middleton, etc., Widow, IV. i. What’s good, Sir, for a wicked tooth?
1639. J. Taylor (Water P.), Part Summers Trav., 41. It is too well known what a wicked number of followers he hath had.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., I. 103. Lest wicked Weeds the Corn shou’d over-run.
1725. Mandeville, Fab. Bees (ed. 4), I. 268. There comes a wicked Cold through that Door,… pray shut it.
1894. G. A. Smith, Hist. Geog. Holy Land, 69. Tents may be carried away by wicked gusts.
1894. Times, 27 Oct., 7/2. The ‘Milo’ was not a particularly ‘wicked’ engine with regard to giving off sparks.
1895. J. G. Millais, Breath from Veldt (1899), 133. It was a wicked country for fever.
1903. Brit. Med. Jrnl., 25 April, 967/1. A proprietary and costly form of chloride of ethyl and inferior to it on account of its wicked smell.
† c. Of wounds, disease: Severe; malignant.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 221. Þo he was in dispeir of hir lijf, I was sent after & foond hir in wickide staat. Ibid., 338. To make a wickid enpostym maturatif.
14[?]. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1903), 245. A wycked wound hath me walled.
1576. Baker, Gesner’s Jewell of Health, 102 b. A water agaynst long continuing ulcers, yea how peryllous or wycked so euer they bee.
d. Of bad quality; poor, vile, ‘sorry’; occas. perverted, abnormal; † in early use sometimes merely negative = un-, dis-.
13[?]. Spec. S. Edm., in Hampole’s Wks. (1895), I. 225. Þare-of commes tresones,… wykked reste [L. inquietudo], Malice and hardnes of herte.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IX. 75. Ane of thame sall be vorth thre Of thame that vikkid chiftane has.
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, III. 530. Ye shal haue … wikkyd loos and wors name. [Cf. quot. a 1340 s.v. WICK a. 2 b.]
a. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc., 68. A Rial þing expert, þat … amendeþ þe errour als wele of þe first digestion as of þe seconde, and doþ away wicked colour & vnnatural.
c. 1440. Jacob’s Well, 78. Of good sede he repyth wycked corn.
1663. Lauderdale Papers (Camden), I. 145. It will be hard to billet me for this wicked inke, for this place affords no better for fine paper. [Cf. ante p. 136 If you write not upon better paper and with better pens, wee will have yow billetted again.]
a. 1704. T. Brown, Dial. Dead, Reas. Oaths, Wks. 1711, IV. 76. Retailer of wicked Bottle Ale and Brandy.
1764. H. Walpole, Lett. to G. Montagu, 16 July. They talk wicked French.
† e. Difficult or dangerous; esp. of roads, passing into: In bad condition, out of repair (cf. d).
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 3507. Ouer mires & muntaynes & oþer wicked weiȝes.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. VII. 27. Þey shulde … amende mesondieux þere-myde and myseyse folke helpe, And wikked wayes wiȝtlich hem amende.
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, I. xci. (1869), 50. Bi ful wikkede pases þou shalt go, and wikkede herberwes þou shalt fynde.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, V. iv. 86. Ontill a wickit place his schip did steir. Ibid., XII. xi. 160. Lyke till a wykkit hill of huge wecht [L. mons improbus].
1533. Bellenden, Livy, IV. xviii. (S.T.S.), II. 115. Þe battell was fochtin in ane wikkit place [L. loco iniquo]. Ibid., V. xxii. 222. Quhare ony strait or wikkit passage was.
1600. Hakluyt, Voy., III. 375. It is most wicked way,… because they are inaccessible mountaines.
† f. Difficult to do something with. Obs.
a. 1352. Minot, Poems (ed. Hall), xi. 8. Þat woning was wikked for to win.
c. 1400. Brut, I. 55. Þat lande was strong and wikkede to wynne.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., II. 155. This lond is ful wikked to be wrought, To hard in hete and ouer softe in wete.
3. In weakened or lighter sense (from 1), usually more or less jocular: Malicious; mischievous, sly.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., IV. i. 216. That same wicked Bastard of Venus,… that blinde rascally boy.
1750. Gray, Long Story, 44. A wicked Imp they call a Poet.
1781. Johnson, 1 April, in Boswell. She [sc. Mrs. Thrale] is the first woman in the world, could she but restrain that wicked tongue of hers.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas, X. x. (Rtldg.), 369. Rubicund in the jowl, efflorescent on the nose, with a wicked eye at a bumper or a girl.
1829. Lytton, Devereux, IV. v. You are the wickedest witty person I know.
1857. B. Taylor, Northern Trav., xxx. (1858), 312. He had … wicked black eyes, and a mouth which laughed even when his face was at rest.
1868. Louisa M. Alcott, Little Women, v. ‘You are not afraid of anything, you know,’ returned the boy, looking wicked.
II. absol. or as sb.
4. In sense 1 a: chiefly in biblical and religious use; often opp. to RIGHTEOUS 1 b. a. absol. in pl. sense: Wicked persons. (Usually, now always, with the.)
13[?]. Cursor M., 22999 (Edinb.). Þe wikid þat dred noht his aw, Her doun þai sal be demed law.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XXI. 430. Ther þat dom to þe deoþ dampneþ alle wyckede.
c. 1400. Pety Job, 271, in 26 Pol. Poems, 129. Wycked and worse, good and bette, I wote well thow considerest alle.
a. 1425. Cursor M., 18279 (Trin.). Mony wickede & mis dedy Hastou lost.
1535. Coverdale, Job iii. 17. There must the wicked ceasse from their tyranny. Ibid., 2 Macc. i. 17. God be praysed, which hath delyuered the wicked in to oure hondes.
1539. Bible (Great), Gen. xviii. 23. Wylt thou also destroy the rightwes wyth the wicked?
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., II. iv. 517. If Sacke and Sugar bee a fault, Heauen helpe the Wicked.
1781. Cowper, Charity, 280. Prisons expect the wicked, and were built To bind the lawless.
b. absol. or as sb. in sing. sense: A wicked person. Obs. or rare arch.: also in nonce-use with pl. in -s.
1484. Caxton, Fables of Æsop, III. xii. Ne none wycked may hurte another wycked.
1526. Tindale, Eph. vi. 16. The shelde off Fayth, wherwith ye maye quenche all the fyrie dartes of the wicked [so 1611: R. V. of the evil one]. Ibid., 2 Thess. ii. 8. That wicked … whom the lorde shall consume with the sprete off hys mouth.
1560. Bible (Geneva), Isa. lv. 7. Let the wicked forsake his waies, and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations.
1853. in Friendsh. Miss Mitford (1882), II. 115. Falling upon the tender mercies of two such wickeds as papa and she.
† c. genitive in -s (sing. or pl.). Obs.
1587. T. Hughes, Misfort. Arthur, V. i. (1900), 57. The wickeds death is safety to the iust.
1597. Breton, Arbor Amorous Deuices, Wks. (Grosart), I. 10/2. What is the world but wickeds way to hel?
1607. Bp. Hall, Ps. vii. Let mee the wicked’s malice see Brought to an end.
III. 5. as adv. Wickedly; fiercely, savagely, furiously; ‘cruelly,’ ‘terribly.’
a. 1425. Cursor M., 15840 (Trin.). Whil þei þus him handeled wicked as þei mouȝt.
1663. T. Porter, Witty Combat, IV. i. Yesterday was … a wicked hot day.
1829. Hogg, Sheph. Cal., i. 8. A hungry louse bites wicked sair.
1849. W. S. Mayo, Kaloolah, v. (1850), 45. He came towards me with his hatchet in his hand. I saw that he was determined to act wicked.
1902. ‘Violet Jacob,’ Sheep-Stealers, ix. They was fightin’ Very wicked an’ nasty.
IV. 6. Comb., as wicked-like [LIKE adv. 7, -LIKE suffix 2 a], -looking, -tongued adjs.; † wicked-doer, -doing = EVIL-DOER, -DOING; † wicked-walking, that ‘walks wickedly’ (cf. Ps. xxvi. 1); wicked-worded nonce-wd. as pa. pple., euphem. for ‘damned.’
a. 1380. St. Aug., 945, in Horstm., Altengl. Leg. (1878), 77. Wikked-tonged men Wolde speke vuel of hem.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 1. Forto deme all wikytdoers ynto þe pyt of hell.
1535. Coverdale, Ezek. xxxvii. 23. With their … Idols and all their wicked-doinges.
c. 1550. Rolland, Crt. Venus, II. 297. So wickit like, and als so venemois.
1608. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iv. Decay, 236. The traytor Manahem’s wicked-walking Son.
1823. Byron, Island, II. xxi. She seem’d a wicked-looking craft.
1865. H. Kingsley, Hillyars & Burtons, xxxii. He … wished he might be wicked-worded if he didn’t.
a. 1871. De Morgan, Budget Parad. (1872), 100. It made a book look wicked-like to have a feigned place of printing.
Hence † Wickedfully adv., wickedly; Wickedish a. [-ISH1 3], somewhat wicked; † Wickedlek [-LAIK], † Wickedrede [-RED], wickedness.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, iii. (Andreas), 104. Wikit women, þou … has consawit giltfully, And consalite þe fend *wikitfully.
1853. Reade, Chr. Johnstone, i. His master replied with … a quiet, but *wickedish look.
a. 1400. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., 478. Ȝif we haue wille to *wikkedlek.
c. 1375. Cursor M., 1227 (Fairf.). Þai wraþet him wiþ *wikked rede.
