evildoer

UK: ˈiːvəlˌduːə | US: ˈiːvəlˌduːər

Definition

  1. n. a person who commits evil or morally wrong acts

Structure
evil <morally bad>do <perform>er <agent suffix>
Etymology

The word "evildoer" is a transparent compound formed from three English morphemes:

  1. "Evil" (Old English yfel) originally meant "bad" or "harmful," retaining its core meaning.
  2. "Do" (Old English dōn) is a fundamental verb meaning "to perform" or "to act."
  3. The suffix "-er" (Old English -ere) denotes an agent who performs the action.
    The compound logically combines these elements to mean "one who performs evil acts." Unlike many borrowed Latinate terms, this Germanic construction remains fully analyzable in modern English.
Examples

  1. The king punished the evildoer for his crimes against the village.

  2. In many stories, the hero must defeat the evildoer to restore peace.

  3. Religious texts often warn against becoming an evildoer.

  4. The community shunned the evildoer after the scandal.

  5. Laws exist to protect society from evildoers.