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Bad vs. Evil: What's the Difference?

Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Janet White || Updated on October 20, 2023
Bad" refers to something incorrect or of poor quality, while "evil" denotes profound immorality and wickedness.

Key Differences

"Bad" and "evil" are both negative descriptors, but they operate on different levels of severity and moral judgment. "Bad" is a broad term, often used to describe something that is not as it should be, from a minor misbehavior to a poorly made product. It's an umbrella term for anything that doesn't meet expected standards, including actions, quality, or outcomes. "Evil," however, is more intense, used to describe actions or characteristics steeped in malice, intending serious harm.
The implications of "bad" can be subjective, varying based on context. A movie might be bad because it's unenjoyable, or a decision is bad because it leads to unwanted outcomes. It denotes a negative assessment but doesn't necessarily imply malevolence. "Evil," conversely, always carries a weight of moral reprehensibility; it is associated with malicious intent, cruelty, and a conscious desire to harm others.
In terms of moral philosophy, "bad" is less severe than "evil." A bad action may be unethical or wrong, yet not arise from a place of profound malevolence. It could be due to poor judgment, ignorance, or accident. "Evil" suggests a deeper, inherent wickedness driving actions, often threatening fundamental moral codes and human dignity.
"Bad" can also be neutral, relating to quality or condition rather than morality. Food can go bad, or the weather can be bad, with no ethical dimension. "Evil," however, is inherently moral and never neutral. It speaks of acts, characters, or events that embody the utmost negative moral degradation, often invoking strong emotional responses.
Lastly, "bad" and "evil" can sometimes be used interchangeably in casual conversation, but their true meanings are distinct. Calling someone a bad person might refer to general disagreeableness or unethical behavior, but labeling someone evil implies they are diabolical, committing atrocities with malevolent delight.
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Comparison Chart

Definition

Not meeting standards; incorrect
Profound immorality, wickedness

Moral Weight

Lighter, subjective
Heavier, absolute

Context

Quality, behavior, decisions
Intentional harm, malevolence

Severity

Can be minor or major
Always major, egregious

Neutrality

Can be morally neutral
Never neutral; always morally charged
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Bad and Evil Definitions

Bad

Bad means incorrect or wrong.
His answer on the test was bad.

Evil

Evil means profoundly immoral and wicked.
The dictator's actions were pure evil.

Bad

Bad can describe unfavorable conditions or circumstances.
We have had bad weather all week.

Evil

Evil describes a corrupt presence or force.
There's an evil spirit haunting the house.

Bad

Not achieving an adequate standard; poor
A bad concert.

Evil

Evil implies a deep, inherent wickedness.
His evil intentions were masked by charm.

Bad

Immoral or evil.

Evil

Morally bad or wrong; wicked
An evil tyrant.

Bad

Vulgar or obscene
Bad language.

Evil

Causing ruin, injury, or pain; harmful
The evil effects of a poor diet.

Bad

Disobedient or naughty
Bad children.

Evil

Characterized by or indicating future misfortune; ominous
Evil omens.

Bad

Disagreeable, unpleasant, or disturbing
A bad piece of news.

Evil

Bad or blameworthy by report; infamous
An evil reputation.

Bad

Unfavorable
Bad reviews for the play.

Evil

Characterized by anger or spite; malicious
An evil temper.

Bad

Not fresh; rotten or spoiled
Bad meat.

Evil

The quality of being morally bad or wrong; wickedness.

Bad

Injurious in effect; detrimental
Bad habits.

Evil

That which causes harm, misfortune, or destruction
A leader's power to do both good and evil.

Bad

Not working properly; defective
A bad telephone connection.

Evil

An evil force, power, or personification.

Bad

Full of or exhibiting faults or errors
Bad grammar.

Evil

Something that is a cause or source of suffering, injury, or destruction
The social evils of poverty and injustice.

Bad

Having no validity; void
Passed bad checks.

Evil

In an evil manner.

Bad

Being so far behind in repayment as to be considered a loss
Bad loans.

Evil

Intending to harm; malevolent.
An evil plot to brainwash and even kill innocent people

Bad

Severe; intense
A bad cold.

Evil

Morally corrupt.
If something is evil, it is never mandatory.
Do you think that companies that engage in animal testing are evil?

Bad

Being in poor health or in pain
I feel bad today.

Evil

Unpleasant, foul (of odour, taste, mood, weather, etc.).

Bad

Being in poor condition; diseased
Bad lungs.

Evil

Producing or threatening sorrow, distress, injury, or calamity; unpropitious; calamitous.

Bad

Sorry; regretful
She feels bad about how she treated you.

Evil

(obsolete) Having harmful qualities; not good; worthless or deleterious.
An evil beast; an evil plant; an evil crop

Bad

Bad·der, bad·dest Slang Very good; great.

Evil

Undesirable; harmful; bad practice.
Global variables are evil; storing processing context in object member variables allows those objects to be reused in a much more flexible way.

Bad

Something that is below standard or expectations, as of ethics or decency
Weighing the good against the bad.

Evil

Moral badness; wickedness; malevolence; the forces or behaviors that are the opposite or enemy of good.
The evils of society include murder and theft.
Evil lacks spirituality, hence its need for mind control.

Bad

Badly.

Evil

Something which impairs the happiness of a being or deprives a being of any good; something which causes suffering of any kind to sentient beings; harm; injury; mischief.

Bad

A past tense of bid.

Evil

(obsolete) A malady or disease; especially in combination, as in king's evil, colt evil.

Bad

Unfavorable; negative; not good.
Hiring you was very bad for this company.
The weather looks pretty bad right now.
He is in a bad mood.
You have very bad grades.

Evil

(obsolete) wickedly, evilly, iniquitously

Bad

Not suitable or fitting.
Do you think it is a bad idea to confront him directly?

Evil

(obsolete) injuriously, harmfully; in a damaging way.

Bad

Not appropriate, of manners etc.
It is bad manners to talk with your mouth full.

Evil

(obsolete) badly, poorly; in an insufficient way.
It went evil with him.

Bad

Unhealthy; liable to cause health problems.
Lard is bad for you. Smoking is bad for you, too. Grapes are bad for dogs but not for humans.

Evil

Having qualities tending to injury and mischief; having a nature or properties which tend to badness; mischievous; not good; worthless or deleterious; poor; as, an evil beast; and evil plant; an evil crop.
A good tree can not bring forth evil fruit.

Bad

(chiefly applied to a person's state of health) Sickly, unhealthy, unwell.
Joe's in a bad way; he can't even get out of bed.
I went to the hospital to see how my grandfather was doing. Unfortunately, he's in a bad state.
I've had a bad back since the accident.

Evil

Having or exhibiting bad moral qualities; morally corrupt; wicked; wrong; vicious; as, evil conduct, thoughts, heart, words, and the like.
Ah, what a sign it is of evil life,When death's approach is seen so terrible.

Bad

Not behaving; behaving badly; misbehaving; mischievous or disobedient.
Stop being bad, or you will get a spanking!

Evil

Producing or threatening sorrow, distress, injury, or calamity; unpropitious; calamitous; as, evil tidings; evil arrows; evil days.
Because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel.
The owl shrieked at thy birth - an evil sign.
Evil news rides post, while good news baits.
It almost led him to believe in the evil eye.

Bad

Tricky; stressful; unpleasant.
Divorce is usually a bad experience for everybody involved.

Evil

Anything which impairs the happiness of a being or deprives a being of any good; anything which causes suffering of any kind to sentient beings; injury; mischief; harm; - opposed to good.
Evils which our own misdeeds have wrought.
The evil that men do lives after them.

Bad

Evil; wicked.
Be careful. There are bad people in the world.

Evil

Moral badness, or the deviation of a moral being from the principles of virtue imposed by conscience, or by the will of the Supreme Being, or by the principles of a lawful human authority; disposition to do wrong; moral offence; wickedness; depravity.
The heart of the sons of men is full of evil.

Bad

Faulty; not functional.
I had a bad headlight.

Evil

Malady or disease; especially in the phrase king's evil, the scrofula.
He [Edward the Confessor] was the first that touched for the evil.

Bad

(of food) Spoiled, rotten, overripe.
These apples have gone bad.

Evil

In an evil manner; not well; ill; badly; unhappily; injuriously; unkindly.
It went evil with his house.
The Egyptians evil entreated us, and affected us.

Bad

(of breath) Malodorous; foul.
Bad breath is not pleasant for anyone.

Evil

Morally objectionable behavior

Bad

False; counterfeit; illegitimate.
They were caught trying to pass bad coinage.

Evil

That which causes harm or destruction or misfortune;
The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones

Bad

Unskilled; of limited ability; not good.
I'm pretty bad at speaking French.
He's a bad gardener; everything he tries to grow ends up dying.

Evil

The quality of being morally wrong in principle or practice;
Attempts to explain the origin of evil in the world

Bad

Of poor physical appearance.
I look really bad whenever I get less than seven hours of sleep.
I don't look bad in this dress, do I?

Evil

Morally bad or wrong;
Evil purposes
An evil influence
Evil deeds

Bad

(informal) Bold and daring.

Evil

Having the nature of vice

Bad

(slang) Good, superlative, excellent, cool.
Man, that new car you bought is bad!
You is bad, man!

Evil

Tending to cause great harm

Bad

Severe, urgent.
He is in bad need of a haircut.

Evil

Having or exerting a malignant influence;
Malevolent stars
A malefic force

Bad

Overly promiscuous, licentious.

Evil

Evil refers to something that causes harm deliberately.
The evil plot involved betraying his own comrades.

Bad

Very attractive; hot, sexy.
Hopefully I can pull some bad bitches tonight.

Evil

Evil is used for acts or behaviors that are vile and cruel.
The criminal committed an evil deed.

Bad

Not covered by funds on account.
He gave me a bad check.

Bad

Badly.
I didn't do too bad in the last exam.

Bad

Something that is bad; a harm or evil.

Bad

Error; mistake.

Bad

An item (or kind of item) of merchandise with negative value; an unwanted good. Bad (economics)

Bad

Used to scold a misbehaving child or pet.

Bad

(archaic) bid.

Bad

To shell (a walnut).

Bad

Bade.

Bad

Wanting good qualities, whether physical or moral; injurious, hurtful, inconvenient, offensive, painful, unfavorable, or defective, either physically or morally; evil; vicious; wicked; - the opposite of good; as, a bad man; bad conduct; bad habits; bad soil; bad air; bad health; a bad crop; bad news.
The strong antipathy of good to bad.

Bad

That which is below standard or expectations as of ethics or decency;
Take the bad with the good

Bad

Having undesirable or negative qualities;
A bad report card
His sloppy appearance made a bad impression
A bad little boy
Clothes in bad shape
A bad cut
Bad luck
The news was very bad
The reviews were bad
The pay is bad
It was a bad light for reading
The movie was a bad choice

Bad

Very intense;
A bad headache
In a big rage
Had a big (or bad) shock
A bad earthquake
A bad storm

Bad

Feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally used colloquially for `bad');
My throat feels bad
She felt bad all over
He was feeling tough after a restless night

Bad

(of foodstuffs) not in an edible or usable condition;
Bad meat
A refrigerator full of spoilt food

Bad

Not capable of being collected;
A bad (or uncollectible) debt

Bad

Below average in quality or performance;
A bad chess player
A bad recital

Bad

Nonstandard;
So-called bad grammar

Bad

Not financially safe or secure;
A bad investment
High risk investments
Anything that promises to pay too much can't help being risky
Speculative business enterprises

Bad

Physically unsound or diseased;
Has a bad back
A bad heart
Bad teeth
An unsound limb
Unsound teeth

Bad

Capable of harming;
Bad habits
Bad air
Smoking is bad for you

Bad

Keenly sorry or regretful;
Felt bad about letting the team down
Was sorry that she had treated him so badly
Felt bad about breaking the vase

Bad

Characterized by wickedness or immorality;
Led a very bad life

Bad

Reproduced fraudulently;
Like a bad penny...
A forged twenty dollar bill

Bad

Not working properly;
A bad telephone connection
A defective appliance

Bad

With great intensity (`bad' is a nonstandard variant for `badly');
The injury hurt badly
The buildings were badly shaken
It hurts bad
We need water bad

Bad

Very much; strongly;
I wanted it badly enough to work hard for it
The cables had sagged badly
They were badly in need of help
He wants a bicycle so bad he can taste it

Bad

Bad indicates poor quality or standard.
The paint job on the car is bad.

Bad

Bad refers to something that causes harm or undesirable consequences.
Ignoring safety protocols is bad.

Bad

Bad denotes something unattractive or not pleasing.
The decor in the room was in bad taste.

FAQs

Is "bad" always related to morality?

No, "bad" can refer to quality, circumstances, or moral wrongs.

Can something bad be morally neutral?

Yes, like bad weather or a bad connection.

Does "evil" imply intent?

Typically, yes, "evil" involves deliberate malevolence or harm.

Is "evil" subjective?

It's more absolute, often agreed upon as profoundly immoral.

Can "bad" describe a mistake?

Yes, it can refer to incorrect actions or decisions.

Is "evil" ever a light accusation?

No, it's a severe moral judgment.

Is "bad" a milder term than "evil"?

Generally, yes, it's less intense and moralistic.

Is ignorance an excuse for "bad" behavior?

Sometimes, but it depends on the context and consequences.

Are people born "evil"?

"Evil" is a complex interplay of factors, not typically inherent from birth.

Does "evil" require premeditation?

Often, it involves intentional, malevolent planning.

Can "evil" exist without action?

It's typically associated with harmful actions or intentions.

Is "evil" always conscious and deliberate?

It usually involves awareness and intent to cause harm.

Can "bad" refer to taste or preference?

Yes, it's often used subjectively in those contexts.

Can an object be "evil"?

Objects aren't evil, but they can be used for evil purposes.

Does "bad" always harm others?

No, it can be self-contained, like a bad habit.

Can "bad" evolve into "evil"?

If negative behavior escalates and becomes malevolent, yes.

Is there redemption for "evil"?

It's debated, but some believe people can change with effort and remorse.

Are "bad" and "evil" interchangeable?

Casually, sometimes, but they have different intensities and implications.

Can a decision be "bad" but not "evil"?

Yes, if it's wrong or harmful but lacks malevolent intent.

Can "bad" change based on culture?

Yes, cultural norms influence what's considered "bad."
About Author
Written by
Janet White
Janet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Aimie Carlson
Aimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.

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