evil (redirected from evilness)

Evil be to him who evil thinks.

Prov. May bad things happen to anyone who thinks evil things. (A curse against those who wish you harm. This is the English version of the French Honi soit qui malypense, the motto of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, a British order of knighthood.) The secret brotherhood took an oath of loyalty and finished their meeting by declaring, "Evil be to him who evil thinks."

See also: him, think, who

Idleness is the root of all evil.

Prov. If you have no useful work to do, you will think of harmful things to do in order to amuse yourself. (Compare this with Money is the root of all evil.) Child: Why do you make me do so many chores? Father: Idleness is the root of all evil.

See also: root

lesser of two evils

the less bad thing of a pair of bad things. I didn't like either politician, so I voted for the lesser of two evils. Given the options of going out with someone I don't like and staying home and watching a boring television program, I chose the lesser of the two evils and watched television.

See also: lesser, two

Money is the root of all evil. and The love of money is the root of all evil.

Prov. People do many evil things in order to get rich. (Biblical. Compare this with Idleness is the root of all evil.) Fred: I know I could make more money if I just knew the right things to invest in. Ellen: Don't worry so much about money. It's the root of all evil, after all. As the newspapers continued to report the dastardly things the wealthy young banker had done to become even wealthier, people shook their heads and remarked, "The love of money is the root of all evil."

See also: money, root

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

Prov. Ignore any evil that you come in contact with; be virtuous even though there is evil around you. (Often represented by three monkeys, one of which is covering his eyes, one his ears, and one his mouth.) Jill: Do you have any idea why Fred is staying in the office so late every night? Jane: Not me. Like the three little monkeys, I see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

See also: hear, see, speak

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Prov. You should not worry about things that might happen in the future.; It is enough to worry about things that are happening today. (Biblical.) Jane: I can't get to sleep; I keep thinking about the interview I have to do tomorrow. Alan: If the interview is tomorrow, worry about it tomorrow. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

See also: day, sufficient, unto

---

a necessary evil

something that you do not like but which you know must exist or happen He considers taxes a necessary evil.

See also: necessary

give somebody the evil eye

to look at someone in an angry or unpleasant way I arrived late for the meeting and Steve Thomson gave me the evil eye.

See also: eye, give

the lesser of two evils  also a lesser evil

the less unpleasant of two choices, neither of which are good I suppose I regard the Democratic candidate as the lesser of two evils.

See also: lesser, two

---

the lesser of two evils

the less unpleasant of two choices, neither of which are good Sometimes I don't like either of the candidates, so I just try to choose the lesser of the two evils.

Usage notes: sometimes used in the form a lesser evil: I don't like her, I just think of her as the lesser evil.

See also: lesser, two