Forms: 1 yfele, yfle, 3–4 uvele, ufele, 4–6 evel(e, -el(l(e, yvel(e, -ell, (4 evyil, ivel, yvyl, yvle, 5 avell, ewell, yeffell), 4–7 evill(e, -yl(e, -yl(l(e, (6 ewill), 3– evil. [ME. uvele (ü), ivele, evele, OE. yfele, f. yfel OS. uƀilo (Du. euvel), OHG. ubilo, upilo (MHG. übele, Ger. übel):—OTeut. *uƀilô.] In an evil manner; ill.
† 1. Wrongly, wrongfully, wickedly, ill; esp. with To do, speak, etc. Obs.; cf. EVIL sb. 2.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., John xviii. 22. Gif ic yfele [1160 Hatton efele] spræce cyð ʓewittnysse be yfele.
c. 1000. Ags. Ps. lxx[i]. 9. Oft me feala cwædon feondas yfele.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6531 (Gött.). Sone herd he … Þat his folk ful euil had don.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 147. Þe clergy Gaf a grete cursyng on whilk of þam … þat euelle bituex þam spak.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 12. Þei coueiten euyle here neiȝeboris goodis.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 10493. Ector with envy evill he dyssayuet, Dang hym to dede.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., xc. 413 (Add. MS.). The yonge sone … spendid Euyll the money that was take hym to the vse of the scole.
1541. R. Barnes, Wks. (1573), 361/1. Man euill vsyng hys freewill, dyd both loose him selfe, and also his freewil.
1547. Homilies, I. Contention, II. (1859), 138. If I be evil reviled, shall I stand still, like a goose or a fool?
1580. Baret, Alv., E 388. It is euill done of you, iniquè facis.
1611. Bible, John xviii. 23. If I haue spoken euill, beare witnesse of the euill.
b. To speak evil (OE. be) of: to speak maliciously, slanderously, abusively of; in later use perh. regarded as a sb., but in OE. and ME. an adv.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Mark ix. 39. Nis nan þe on minum naman mæʓen wyrce & mæʓe raðe be me yfele sprecan.
1535. Coverdale, Ezek. xxxvi. 23. My greate name … which amonge the Gentiles is euel spoken of.
1580. North, Plutarch, 740. [Alexander’s friends] beganne … to speake euill of him.
1611. Bible, Mark ix. 39. There is no man, which shall doe a miracle in my Name, that can lightly speake euill of me.
c. 1630. Drumm. of Hawth., Poems, Wks. 45. Here Aretine lies … Who, whilst he liv’d spoke evil of all.
a. 1768. T. Secker, Serm. (1771), xv. V. 335. Whoever is much and generally and long evil spoken of, hath been faulty.
1841. Lane, Arab. Nts., I. 91. That I should be his enemy, and speak evil of him.
† c. To hear evil: to be evil spoken of; L. male audire. Cf. To hear ill. Obs.
1584. Forme of Prayer Ch. Scotl., G 2 b. If he haue … gouerned him selfe in suche sorte as the worde of God hath not hearde euill.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. v. 23. O! what of gods then boots it to be borne, If old Aveugles sonnes so evill heare?
† 2. Harmfully, injuriously, esp. in To evil entreat; badly, severely, shamefully. Obs.
c. 1205. Lay., 1903. Vfele [c. 1275 vuele] he hine mærde.
1340. Ayenb., 239. He het þet ha wer riȝt wel ybeate and euele y-draȝe.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 2557. Do make vp Seynt petris churche Þat þe Sarsynz han yule arayd.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 9685. The bodies on bent brethit full euyll.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour, 23. They … plucked each other bi the here of the hede right evelle.
1485. Caxton, Paris & V., 19. Geffroy went to therthe under hys hors ryght evyl hurte.
1562. Act 5 Eliz., c. 4 § 35. If any such Master shall misuse or evil intreat his Apprentice.
1578. Gude & Godlie Ball. (1868), 133. I was … Euill totcheit and rockit.
1611. Bible, Deut. xxvi. 6. The Egyptians euil intreated vs, and afflicted vs.
1693. Mem. Cnt. Teckely, II. 89. More fit to ruine and evil entreat the Peasants and disarmed Burghers, than to fight an Enemy.
1749. Act 22 Geo. II., in Beawes, Lex Mercat. (1752), 251. Pillaged, beaten, or evil-intreated.
† 3. With difficulty, hardly. Obs.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XII. 8. In þyne olde elde þat yuel can suffre Pouerte.
c. 1435. Torr. Portugal, 81. Fulle evylle thow dourst hyme stond.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, II. viii. It is euyl sene said the knyghtes that thou art a true man that thou wolt not telle thy name.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccccxxxviii. 771. They shulde full yuell agone any farther to gette any forage.
1580. North, Plutarch (1676), 819. Brutus could evil away with the tyranny.
† 4. Badly, poorly, indifferently, insufficiently; not well. Evil at ease = ill at ease. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 16119 (Cott.). Mi wyf es sumquat iuel at ess. Ibid. (c. 1340), 4422 (Trin.). Alas Ioseph … Euel is þe quit þi trewe seruyse.
1399. Langl., Rich. Redeles, IV. 52. Euyil be we worthy to welden oure hire.
c. 1420. Anturs of Arth., ix. Alle bare was the body … in clething evyl clad.
1475. Bk. Noblesse, 30. No cheveteyn can not have … good men of armes eville paied.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, ix. 253. I am evyll contente.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. xviii. 21. With them came other folkis of the countrey … with brede euyll bakyn. Ibid., I. lxxxiii. 105. They were but yuell payed.
1563. Homilies, II. Idolatry, II. (1859), 197. The East and West Churches, which agreed evil before … fell to utter enmity.
1587. Harrison, England, II. xxi. (1877), I. 332. Sicke and evill at ease.
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., II. 129. Horses … very leane and evill appoynted for service.
† 5. Badly, defectively; imperfectly, unskilfully; also, incorrectly, wrongly. Obs.
a. 1000. Riddles, xliv. 10 (Gr.). Gif se esne his hlaforde hyreð yfle.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 1204. Ic wot if smithes sale vuele clenche.
c. 1300. Beket, 404. So schal the pays of the londe wel uvele beon iholde.
c. 1340. Cursor M., 25828 (Fairf.). Qua-sim dos squa is iuel taȝt.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg. (MS. A.), 93. Cankre … comeþ of a wounde yvel heelid.
c. 1450. Merlin, iii. 46. Sirs ye knewe Merlin full euell.
1551. Robinson, trans. More’s Utop., Ded. Ep. (Arb.), 14. A good tale euel tolde.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., I. (1586), 22. If it be shallowe in one place, and deepe in an other, it declares the grounde to be euill handled in the plowing.
1597. T. Morley, Introd. Mus., 74. I pray you shew me a reason why the Discord is euill taken here?
1629. Purchas, Pilgrims, II. 1032. These vessels are more wide than ours, being evil made.
† 6. Badly, unfortunately, unhappily, unsuccessfully. Obs.
971. Blickl. Hom., 247. Þy læs wen sie þæt we yfele forweorþon.
a. 1000. Cædmon’s Gen., 387 (Gr.). Ðæt sceolde unc Adame yfele geweorðan ymb ðæt heofonrice.
c. 1340. Cursor M., 18278 (Fairf.). Evylle hast þou done thy-self to spede.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 1067. Yvel mote they thryve & thee … These losengers ful of envye!
1401. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 97. Evel mot he spede, that beggith of the puple more than is nede.
1795. Robin Hood (Ritson 1795), I. 83. Yeffell mot he the, Seche thre strokes he me gafe.
1611. Bible, 1 Chron. vii. 23. It went euill with his house.
† 7. With to become, like, etc. Obs.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 7. To don al & drehen þat him likeð ne sitte hit hire se uuele.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 548 (Gött.). Of thing men likis, euil or wele.
c. 1300. Beket, 1179. Uvele bicom him to gon afote.
1540. Coverdale, Fruitf. Less., Pref., Wks. (Parker Soc.), I. 201. How evil doth it become a believer to be ireful and greedy of vengeance.
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., IV. vii. 84. How euill it beseemes thee, To flatter Henry.
8. Comb. a. With agent-nouns, forming sbs., as evil-liver, -looker.
1846. Trench, Mirac., xxxiii. (1862), 462. The ship of the Church,—encumbered with *evil-livers till it well nigh makes shipwreck altogether.
1887. Lady Bellairs, Gossips w. Girls, II. 64. Do not delude yourself that … you will be able to reform a lover who has been an evil liver.
1697. Evelyn, Numism., ix. 302. Witches and *Evil-lookers as they call them.
b. With pres. pples., forming adjs., as evil-smelling; with vbl. sbs., forming sbs., as evil-getting (concr.), -taking. Also evil-liking, ill-favored; evil-sounding, harsh-sounding; EVIL-WILLING.
1652. Bp. Hall, Invis. World, III. § 5 (1659), 163. He [Satan] heartens us in *evil gettings, under pretence of the opportunity of liberall alms-giving.
1535. Coverdale, Joel i. 18. The bullockes are very *euel likynge because they haue no pasture.
1881. Besant & Rice, Chapl. Fleet, I. 187. They were here, crouched in this filthy, *evil-smelling place.
1552. Huloet, *Euil soundynge, absonus.
1547. Homilies, I. Salvation, III. (1859), 32. To avoid *evil taking and misunderstanding.
c. With pa. pples., forming adjs. (a.) With sense ‘wickedly, wrongly,’ as evil-disposed, -gotten, -won. (b.) With sense ‘imperfectly, unskilfully’ (= mis-) as evil-fashioned, -loved, -ordered, -pieced, -shaped, -shapen, -sown, -spun, -taught. Also evil-sained [see SAIN], lit. ‘ill-blessed,’ i.e., accursed.
1563. Foxe, in Latimer’s Serm. & Rem. (1845), p. xix. He was tossed and turmoiled by *evil-disposed persons.
1854. J. S. C. Abbott, Napoleon (1855), II. xxxvii. 570. I should, on the contrary, have created the Tribunate, had I been hypocritical or evil-disposed.
1483. in Surtees Misc. (1890), 28. Breyerton, talȝer, has an ewell dyspossid woman to hys wyff. Ibid. John Herrot has avell dyssposid chylld.
c. 1496. Serm. Episc. Puer. (W. de W.), B iij. *Euyll-fasshened garmentes & deuyllysshe shoon & slyppers of frensmen.
1539. Taverner, Erasm. Prov., 25. *Euyl gotten good go euyll awaye.
1552. Huloet, *Euil loued, antiphalus.
1526. Househ. Ord., 235. That the napery be not torne nor rent or otherwise *evill-ordered.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 307. Friendship, that is but *evill peeced, will not ioine close, but falleth asunder againe.
1588. A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., K iv. Away with luther and Caluine and sic *euilsained sanctes.
1832. Motherwell, Poems (1847), 17. And sway to their purpose Each *evil-shaped mood.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XII. xxxii. (1495), 432. The pecok hath an … *euyll shapen heed.
a. 1541. Wyatt, Poet. Wks. (1861), 170. The gain is hers, the loss is mine: Of *evil-sown seed such is the fruit.
1388. Songs Costume (Percy Soc.), 45. Ware of *evel-spon waste.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XX. 185. ‘Sire *euel-ytauȝte elde’ quod I ‘vnhende go with the!’
1583. Sempill Ballates, 210. Ane carling of the Quene of Phareis, That *ewill win geir to elphyne careis.
