böse

Böse is a German adjective meaning morally bad or wicked and can also describe anger or ill will. It is used to characterize people, actions, intentions, or situations perceived as evil or harmful. In everyday language, common collocations include böse Absicht (malicious intent), eine böse Tat (a wicked act), and eine böse Überraschung (an unpleasant surprise). It can denote mood as well: Er ist böse, or Er wird böse. In predicative position, böse takes standard verb inflections: Er ist böse, Sie ist böse geworden.

Etymology: Böse derives from Old High German bösi and is cognate with Dutch boos and other Germanic forms, all sharing the sense of harm, danger, or ill will.

Usage notes: Böse carries a moral dimension and implies intentional wrongdoing or malevolence, unlike schlecht, which more often refers to poor quality or unfavorable outcomes without moral judgment. The adjective inflects for gender, number, and case (böser Mann, eine böse Überraschung, ein böses Kind, böse Männer).

As a surname: Böse is a German surname derived from the same root as the adjective; it appears in German-speaking regions and among descendants of German-speaking communities.