WIK-uhd-nuhs
/ˈwɪkədnəs/
wickedness is pronounced WIK-uhd-nuhs (/ˈwɪkədnəs/). Wickedness refers to the quality or state of being wicked or morally wrong, often implying deliberate malice or harm. It can describe deeds, intentions, or overall character that are profoundly evil. In everyday use, it may also signal intense displeasure or severity, as in expressions of strong disapproval or danger.
Wickedness refers to the quality or state of being wicked or morally wrong, often implying deliberate malice or harm. It can describe deeds, intentions, or overall character that are profoundly evil. In everyday use, it may also signal intense displeasure or severity, as in expressions of strong disapproval or danger.
"Her wickedness was evident in the way she manipulated others for her own gain."
"The village faced the wickedness of the storm, which left widespread damage in its wake."
"Someone warned that the decision could unleash a new wave of wickedness in the world."
Pronounce as /ˈwɪ.kɪd.nəs/ (US/UK/AU share the same core). Start with a stressed first syllable WIK-, where 'wi' sounds like in win. The second syllable uses a short 'i' as in kit, and the final syllable is a soft 'nəs' with a light schwa in the middle and a final 's'. Tip: keep the tongue high for the first vowel, then drop to a relaxed mid for the schwa. Practice saying it slowly: WIK-ɪD-nes, then speed up.
Common errors: (1) Slurring the second syllable into the first, making /ˈwɪ.kɪd/ sound like one beat; (2) Overpronouncing the final ‘ness’ as /nɛs/ instead of /nəs/. Correct by lifting the tongue for /ɪ/ in the second syllable and using a reduced /ə/ in /nəs/. Practice minimal pairs to separate vowels: /ˈwɪ.kɪd.nəs/ vs /ˈwɪ.kɪd.nɛs/ helps you feel the subtle mid-central vowel there.
In US/UK/AU, the primary stress remains on the first syllable: /ˈwɪ.kɪd.nəs/. US rhoticity doesn’t change the pronunciation of the r here (there’s no /r/). UK and AU tend to use a similar /ɪ/ in the first two syllables, with a weaker /ə/ in the final syllable. Some speakers frame the final syllable with a slightly stronger /ɜ/ or /ə/ depending on cadence; nevertheless, all three maintain the short, clipped vowels rather than long vowels.
Two notable challenges: (a) the two consecutive syllables with short, clipped vowels /ɪ/ and /ɪ/ can cause vowel reduction if you speak quickly; (b) the final /nəs/ cluster demands light, rapid articulation of /n/ and the schwa transition before /s/. Focus on a crisp /ɪ/ in the second syllable and a relaxed, quick /əs/ ending. Use slow, deliberate articulation first, then blend.
The word contains a rare combination of a light, open front vowel in the second syllable and a syllabic ending consonant cluster that leads into a voiceless /s/. The unique stress pattern—initial stress with a trailing unstressed finale—requires maintaining a clear first syllable while lightly compressing the final /nəs/. Emphasize the transition from /d/ to /n/ to avoid a glottal stop insertion.
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Wickedness descends from Old English wicca, meaning “witch, sorcerer,” related to the Proto-Germanic wikkjaz, with later semantic expansion to denote morally wrong or evil conduct. The suffix -ness attaches to adjectives to form abstract nouns, yielding ‘wicked’ + ‘-ness’ to signify the state or quality of wickedness. The sense evolved through religious and moral discourse in Medieval and Early Modern English, where “wicked” described acts against divine law, then broadened to secular moral wrongdoing. First attested in the 12th–13th centuries, the noun form appears in ecclesiastical and legal contexts as a descriptor of sinfulness or vice. Over centuries, “wickedness” carried connotations of malice, malevolent intent, and corrupt behavior beyond simple wrongdoing, increasingly used in literature and rhetoric to characterize profound ethical depravity. In modern usage, it can denote both extreme moral evil and more generalized severity or intensity of harm, retaining its figurative force in cultural expressions and idioms.
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Words that rhyme with "wickedness"
-ess sounds
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