Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| malvagio | /malˈva.d͡ʒo/ |
| cattivo | /katˈti.vo/ |
| malevolo | /maˈlɛ.vo.lo/ /maˈle.vo.lo/ |
| corrotto | /korˈrot.to/ |
The term refers to someone or something that is morally corrupt. Related nouns for moral badness or wickedness include male, malevolenza and malignità.
Which one should you use?
While malvagio implies deep moral wickedness or being 'evil', cattivo is the much more common word for 'bad' and can range from a 'bad person' to a 'bad apple' or even a 'bad movie'. Additionally, corrotto refers specifically to a lack of integrity or being bribed (corrupt), whereas malvagio refers to a broader, more inherent moral evil.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective malvagio must agree in gender with the noun it modifies, changing to malvagia for feminine nouns. The adjective malvagio changes to malvagi when describing a plural masculine group. The adjective malvagio changes to malvage when describing a plural feminine group.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /malˈva.dʒo/. It has three syllables, and the stress is on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- The word cattivo has a surprising connection to being 'captive'. It stems from the Latin word captīvus, following a logic where a person 'caught' by the devil became a 'bad' person.
Examples in context
- È un uomo malvagio.He is an evil man.This sentence is useful for describing an evil man using malvagio.Tatoeba #4987601 by Guybrush88, translation #303244 by CK
- Non è un uomo cattivo.He's not an evil man.This sentence is useful for noting a person is not an evil man using cattivo.Tatoeba #2947684 by Guybrush88, translation #2947672 by Hybrid
- Era un libro malvagio.It was an evil book.This sentence is useful for describing an evil book using malvagio.Tatoeba #13143425 by Guybrush88, translation #12966515 by rul
- Questo è un atto di male.This is an act of evil.
- Lui ha un'anima malvagia.He has an evil soul.
- Il male esiste nel mondo.Evil exists in the world.
- Lui è una persona cattiva.He is an evil person.
- Ciò che hai fatto è davvero cattivo.What you did is really evil.
- Quella è una cosa malvagia da fare.That's an evil thing to do.
- Lui è uno scellerato senza cuore.He is an evilhearted scoundrel.
- 37 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Francesco are discussing a movie villain.
- GiuliaIl cattivo di questo film è davvero malvagio.The villain of this movie is truly evil.
- FrancescoSì, non ha nessuna pietà per gli altri.Yes, he has no pity for others.
- GiuliaÈ il personaggio più malvagio che abbia mai visto.He is the most evil character I have ever seen.
- FrancescoHai ragione, Francesco è d'accordo con te.You're right, Francesco agrees with you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “evil” translations and entries malvagio, cattivo, malevolo, corrotto, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cattivo, corrotto, malevolo, malvagio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
