Nefarious

/nɪˈfɛəriəs/

Meaning & Definition

adjective

wicked or criminal; villainous.

The villain hatched a nefarious plan to take over the city.

infamous by way of being extremely wicked.

The nefarious activities of the gang led to their eventual downfall.

evil or morally reprehensible.

Her nefarious dealings in the underworld did not go unnoticed by law enforcement.

From Latin 'nefarious', meaning 'wicked' or 'evil', from 'nefarius' (no lawful or good).

nefarious activities

Actions that are illegal and morally wrong.

nefarious character

A person with a wicked and villainous nature.

nefarious schemes

Plans that are intended for illegal or immoral purposes.

villain

A character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot.

malicious

Characterized by intended harm or evil.

immoral

Not conforming to accepted standards of morality.

Plainly evil or bad.

That guy is totally nefarious, always scheming something.

Used to describe something outrageously bad.

Dude, that movie's plot was so nefarious, it was hilarious.