Informal words for good. He was a wicked, ruthless , and dishonest man. Wicked can also mean slightly bad , but in an attractive way:. She has a wicked sense of humor. The demands of fund-raising are wicked. Translations of wicked in Chinese Traditional. See more. Need a translator? Translator tool. What is the pronunciation of wicked? Browse wi-fi.
Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes. Image credits. Word of the Day kind-hearted. About this. Blog Outsets and onsets! Read More. November 08, So how did wicked , an adjective with a tinge of old-fashioned moralism, find a new identity as an adverbial intensifier in this one part of the country? One hypothesis suggests that the fact that the city of Salem, Massachusetts, located north of Boston, is famous for its witch trials and its association with witches, might have something to do with it.
But while there are a handful of examples dating back to the Middle Ages Yesterday was As Ben T. Smith of Dialect Blog notes, the use of wicked as an adverb echoes the similar use of other adjectives, such as awful and terrible e. A possible interpretation is that adverbial wicked was a literal extension of its adjective sense—something that was wicked fast, for example, might have been to such a degree that seemed the result of a curse or supernatural force.
Some have also drawn parallels between wicked and hella , an intensifier as in "that ride was hella scary" whose origin has been tied to California's Bay Area. While they are used similarly, comparing them would be like comparing wine to clam chowder—or redwoods to maple trees—and would leave people on both coasts hella annoyed.
Or wicked annoyed. Whichever you prefer. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log in Sign Up. It's a New England thing. More Words At Play. Merriam-Webster's Words of the Week - Oct. Merriam-Webster's Words of the Week - Nov. Time Traveler. Love words? Need even more definitions? Ask the Editors 'Everyday' vs. What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'? How 'literally' can mean "figuratively".
At the same time, these terms can have a completely different meaning in a varying region of the US or even another country. The slang can have multiple meanings. From "cool" to "hellish" and "evil" the term has evolved and settled in various regions of the globe.
Old English originally used the term to describe something evil or morally wrong. Across the pond, "wicked" often connotes something that is neat or excellent. Most frequently seen in the Harry Potter Series, the kids often say "That's wicked" when excited or enthralled. This meaning has also carried it's way throughout the rest of the United States. The Puritans were a group of Protestants from the 16th and 17th century.
Some even migrated to New England, often broadly categorized as the pilgrims. Puritans were unhappy with the English Church; therefore, some became separatists and removed themselves completely. Puritans devoted their lives to the words of the Bible. With a stringent work ethic and devout ideologies, Puritans also believed in demonic forces, a trait shared by most Christians of the 16th century.
So, how did the term transform itself in New England? Well, there really is no one answer to this question as it's true origins are a bit fuzzy. We do know, however, that New England was the site of a Puritan development. These Puritans believed in demonology, often pointing fingers, exploiting who they believed to be witches. In the late 's, this really escalated with the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. Often, pastors would perform exorcisms for demonic possession.
In this time, "wicked" was used to describe these witches, often carrying with them a negative connotation. Wicked i said to come from the Old English word witch wicca-. In New England, the adjective has transformed itself into an adverb. This is common in 19th century English.
Take for example the use of "awful" - it has been transformed into the adverb, "awfully". This has a similar meaning to the adverbial use of "wicked," both meaning "really" or "very". You may hear someone exclaim that they're "awfully tired," anyone would understand "awfully's" use as an adverb intensifier to signify the strength of their fatigue.. A similar thing has happened with "terrible," "real" and "pretty". In what could be the same way, "wicked" has transformed itself into an intensifier in New England.
The transformation of the evil connotation is thought to be around the s, yet it's exact timing remains unclear. Now, the term has really centralized in Boston, Massachusetts.
It has now made it's way into the business arena - used to promote New England home grown products and services. From marketing sports teams to tuna, the term has come to symbolize the community and people of New England. In New Hampshire, where I grew up and whose accent I like the most, we intonate the word, wicked when we use it.
Yes, we use it adverbially, but the intonation is important. If you don't intone WICKED before cool, awesome, dark, dank, nice, whatever adjective, then it's a waste of a regional expression.
I would also like to say, I recently drove to Conway and visited a trestle on the outskirts of the town. I spoke with him and he had that classic NH accent. It's appropriately heard as the in-between of Mass and Maine accents. It's my favorite. I have never heard a person in my generation or younger speak with this accent. Youngest I've heard was from a forty-something in Contoocook, NH. Otherwise I think it's dead, which I think is sad.
It's very
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