Wicked means evil or cruel: a wicked ruler, the Wicked Witch. In informal speech it means the opposite, excellent or amazing: the drummer played a wicked solo. Sick works the same way in slang: a word with a dark meaning turned into praise.
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a wicked + noun; that was wicked; wicked can mean excellent informally
- The drummer played a wicked solo, and the crowd cheered for more.
- That skateboard design is wicked—I love the colours.
- In the fairy tale, a wicked ruler locks the villagers inside the castle.
What changed
First versionIn a formal concert review: The drummer's solo was wicked.
RevisionIn a formal concert review: The drummer's solo was excellent.
The grammar is fine; the problem is register. Wicked meaning great is casual speech, and in a formal review it sounds like a shout from the crowd. In writing, use excellent or outstanding.
Evil means bad, with no praise meaning at all. Sick in slang can also be praise: that trick was sick. Excellent is the neutral choice for writing.
Your turn
Your friend hears your guitar solo and says, 'That was wicked!' She means it was ___.
Show the answer
excellent — Your friend is reacting to your playing in casual speech, so wicked is praise: excellent. The evil or cruel meaning doesn't fit a compliment about a solo.
Praise a performance or design in a friendly message so it's clear wicked is a compliment.
The band played a wicked encore; I was still humming the melody on the way home.
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