kwaad

Kwaad is a Dutch term that functions as both an adjective and a noun. As an adjective, it describes something harmful, immoral, or evil, and it can also refer to a strong emotional state, such as anger or annoyance. As a noun, het kwaad can denote evil, harm, or wrongdoing in a moral or philosophical sense.

In everyday usage, kwaad can describe actions, intents, or situations. For example, iemand kwaad doen means to harm someone, iets kwaads plannen means to plan something bad, and wat je hebt gedaan is kwaadaardig can convey that an act was malicious. The related adjective kwaadaardig specifically denotes malicious or harmful behavior. The expression met kwaad opzet means with malicious intent, indicating deliberate wrongdoing.

The concept of kwaad is common in discussions of ethics, law, and religion, where it is contrasted with good and with intentions of moral agents. In theology and philosophy, het kwaad is often explored as a problem relating to why harm exists and how it relates to free will, suffering, and moral responsibility. The term can also appear in more secular discourse to describe harm or mischief without moral judgment.

Etymology-wise, kwaad is a native Dutch word with Germanic roots and is related to similar terms across West Germanic languages, used historically to express the idea of harm, malice, or unkindness. It forms the basis for related words such as kwaadwillig (malicious) and kwaadaardig (malicious, harmful).

See also: kwaadwillig, kwaadaardig, het kwaad.