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wrongdoer

wrongdoer

8 4.3
A person who breaks the law or hurts other people
  • noun
  • /ˈrɔŋˌduər/
translation icon : delincuente
  • The judge sentenced the wrongdoer to five years in prison for his crimes.
  • punish wrongdoers
  • punishment for wrongdoers
  • wrongdoer's conviction

In fact, this person is a worse wrongdoer than those who counterfeit the coinage.

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Examples

  • Punishment in early America was designed to publicly humiliate the wrongdoer before the members of his or her community.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Legal remedies, therefore, attempt to restore the "moral status quo" in which victim and wrongdoer are, once again, on equal footing.

    Academic text (2003)
  • I may not be the one to be giving marriage counselling, but sometimes it takes a wrongdoer to show you when you're doing wrong.

  • Collective security would be the means by which wrongdoers would be kept in check.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Given the proper information, they argued, the market could punish wrongdoers on its own.

    Academic text (2009)
  • First Corinthians five explains to us how we must avoid socializing or eating with the wrongdoer.

  • Jane, I realize this is an unusual request, but if there is something illegal going on in this company, I need to know everything about it, so we can root out any wrongdoers.

  • And what we're trying to achieve isn't to punish wrongdoers, it's to stop people becoming wrongdoers.

  • We will help each other, support the oppressed, forgive the wrongdoers, and defend against any invaders.

  • For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

    Academic text (2018)

Synonyms

offender
vswrongdoer
304 3.5

A person who has committed a crime or broken the law

also covers immoral acts that may not be legally wrong
perpetrator
vswrongdoer
161 6.8

A person who commits a crime or other serious wrong

is a general label for anyone who acts immorally or illegally
crook
vswrongdoer
  • Offensive
153 3.9

A dishonest person who cheats or steals

is broader, covering many immoral or illegal behaviours beyond theft
sinner
vswrongdoer
151 4.0

A person who does things seen as morally wrong, often by religion

is secular and covers both moral and legal wrongdoing beyond sins
cheater
vswrongdoer
  • Offensive
112 2.6

A person who breaks the rules or lies to get an advantage

is more general, covering many forms of moral or legal wrong
bad person
vswrongdoer
  • Offensive
104 1.6

A person who harms others on purpose or does wrong things

also covers harmful acts that may be legal or illegal
culprit
vswrongdoer
101 4.6

Something, often a person, that causes a crime, mistake or problem

is broader, covering moral faults as well as legal responsibility
scoundrel
vswrongdoer
  • Offensive
51 6.5

A person who behaves dishonestly and hurts others by lying or stealing

is the neutral everyday term covering both moral and legal fault
miscreant
vswrongdoer
  • Offensive
22 8.4

A person who does bad things or breaks the law

is more neutral and includes legal offences as well
violator
vswrongdoer
19 5.1

A person who breaks a law or other rule

includes breaking moral codes as well as formal rules
evildoer
vswrongdoer
15 7.5

A person who does bad things to hurt other people

is similar but also includes less extreme moral faults
lawbreaker
vswrongdoer
11 3.8

A person who does things that are against the law

adds moral wrongdoing beyond merely illegal behaviour
malefactor
vswrongdoer
3 8.8

A person who breaks the law or does something wrong

is broader, including noncriminal moral wrongdoing as well
transgressor
vswrongdoer
3 7.7

A person who breaks a law or important rule

is the neutral everyday term for any moral or legal wrong
bounder
vswrongdoer
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A man who behaves in a rude or dishonest way

is gender neutral and covers any moral or legal offences
breacher
vswrongdoer
1 8.1

Someone who breaks a law or contract

is the general label for someone doing moral or legal wrong
wronger
vswrongdoer
  • Informal
1 8.6

A person who is more at fault than someone else

is the general term for any person doing moral or legal wrong
law offender
vswrongdoer
3.0

A person who breaks the law

is the wider, everyday term for moral or legal wrongs
committer
vswrongdoer
7.6

A person who breaks the law, for example by theft or fraud

is the broader term for any person doing moral or legal wrong

Antonyms

2.2

Not guilty of a crime or wrongdoing

63 3.4

Following the law and not breaking rules

How Bad

villain
272 3.3
felon
  • US
175 5.5
criminal
2.1
wrongdoer
8 4.3
offender
304 3.5

Surface Forms

wrongdoer singular
wrongdoers plural

Morphology

wrongdoer = wrongdo (semi-transparent) = wrong + do + er

The base 'wrongdo' is not a standard English verb, but the meaning can be inferred from 'wrong' + 'do'.

Etymology

Wrongdoer joins wrong ('not right') and doer ('one who does something'), so it means 'a person who does something wrong or illegal'.