evilly
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /ˈiːvəlˌi/
US
- /ˈivli/adverb
- /ˈivəli/adverb
Description
- wickedly
- maliciously
- with evil intent
To do something evilly means to act in a deliberately harmful, cruel, or wicked way. It is not just "bad" - it suggests a clear choice to cause pain, trouble, or unfairness. You often hear it in stories about villains. A silly prank may be annoying, but a carefully planned scheme done evilly is meant to truly hurt someone. You would not say a clumsy accident happened "evilly," but you could describe the wicked stepmother in Cinderella as acting evilly.
The word "evilly" is an adverb that describes how something is done. It means the action is done with cruel, harmful, or morally bad intent. It goes beyond simply being bad; it suggests a deliberate wish to cause harm, suffering, or injustice.
You'll often find "evilly" used in storytelling to describe villains and their actions. A character might laugh evilly, plot evilly, or grin evilly before carrying out a plan. The word adds dramatic force and highlights how dark the person's intent is. For example: "The sorcerer laughed evilly before casting a spell on the princess," or "He evilly manipulated his friends for personal gain."
However, "evilly" is not limited to fantasy stories. It can also appear in everyday language when someone wants to stress that an action was especially cruel or malicious. For example, "He spoke evilly of his former friend" suggests more than simple anger; it suggests a nasty desire to wound.
It's important to note that "evilly" has a very strong negative meaning. It is not a word you would use lightly, but one you choose when you want to emphasize the deeply wicked nature of an action or intention. So if something is done with a dark heart and a wish to cause harm, it may be described as done evilly.
Examples
- 1
Mischievous grin
She grinned evilly and took the last cookie.
Usage
grin evilly
smile in a cruel or mischievous way; often used in stories or jokes
- 2
Film villain
The old woman in the film laughed evilly as the door slowly closed behind them.
- 3
Office joke
"Oh, I saved you some work," he said evilly, dropping a huge stack of papers on her desk.
- 4
Sibling mischief
The child gave his brother an evilly cheerful look before switching off the game.
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- evillyadverb