Skip to main content
evil-looking

evil-looking

1 5.3
A person or thing that looks dangerous and likely to cause harm
  • adjective
  • /ˈiːvəlˌlʊkɪŋ/
translation icon : de aspecto maligno
  • The pickax was evil-looking, a tool the devil might carry, and lifting it made Stuart feel like someone he did not know.

Examples

  • To her horror, she saw an evil-looking creature sitting in the far corner of her room.

  • Another shows an evil-looking man shaking his arm defiantly at a frowning sun, though he is human; his raised arm is the enlarged, hairy limb of a werewolf.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The evil-looking driver jumps down and pulls a large sack off the back.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • "He bared an evil-looking set of false teeth.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Xi-Ping has his own armada of vehicles and an army of evil-looking guards.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • "The Enaree held up an evil-looking goatskin bag tied together by the hooves.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The admonishment here, coming just before an evil-looking Japanese captain enters the room, is to take up the mantle of resistance once again against these new invaders.

    Academic text (2013)
  • But for those with young children, some of the scariness of the night, such as evil-looking skeletons, ghosts, haunted houses, and zombies, may be too much fear and scare for what is supposed to be a fun evening.

    Blog text (32)
  • That's an evil-looking car, with dark tinted windows and sharp angles.

  • The artist painted a scene featuring an evil-looking wizard with glowing red eyes.

Synonyms

demonic
vsevil-looking
91 8.1

Extremely evil and cruel, as if caused by the devil

is about outward appearance suggesting malice, not about actual cruelty
sinister
vsevil-looking
87 6.1

Giving a feeling that something bad will happen

is about a look that makes people feel someone intends harm
diabolical
vsevil-looking
44 8.2

Very evil and cruel, like a devil

focuses on looks that suggest evil, not on genuine wickedness
villainous
vsevil-looking
14 7.3

Very bad and cruel, often hurting other people

relies on appearance hinting at malice rather than confirmed wrongdoing
baleful
vsevil-looking
  • Formal
4 8.4

Looking or sounding dangerous and making you feel afraid

is a visual sign that hints at malice rather than real threat

Antonyms

773 1.0

Kind and helpful toward other people

134 1.0

Not meant to cause harm or upset

How Sinister

evil-looking
1 5.3
bizarre
406 5.9

Surface Forms

evil-looking positive

Morphology

evil-looking = evil + look (transparent) = evil + look + ing

The adjective combines 'evil' + present-participle 'looking' to mean 'appearing evil', a direct and predictable composition.

Etymology

Evil-looking is easy to remember: the first part evil means 'bad or harmful', and the second part -looking means 'having the appearance of', just like in good-looking. So something evil-looking simply appears dangerous or cruel.