arch-evil
|arch/ev/il|
🇺🇸
/ˈɑrtʃˌiːvəl/
🇬🇧
/ˈɑːtʃˌiːvəl/
chief evil
Etymology
'arch-evil' originates from the prefix 'arch-' (from Greek 'arkhos') meaning 'chief' combined with Old English 'yfel' meaning 'evil'.
'arch-' entered English from Greek 'arkhos' via Latin and Old French as a prefix meaning 'chief' or 'principal'; 'evil' evolved from Old English 'yfel' into Middle English 'evil'; the compound 'arch-evil' appears in Modern English as a literary or emphatic formation.
Initially, the components conveyed 'chief' + 'evil' and the compound meant 'principal evil'; over time the phrase retained this sense and is now chiefly used in literary or emphatic contexts to denote a supreme embodiment or source of evil.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a chief or supreme embodiment of evil; the principal source or personification of wickedness.
The dictator was widely regarded as the arch-evil behind the nation's suffering.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/14 07:56