“wicked” in Latin

scelestus: sceleratus: nefarius: nefandus: impius: improbus (☞ scelestus has reference to the mind = ad scelera pronus or promptus; sceleratus, to actions = sceleribus pollutus atque opertus. Hence, scelestus is applied to persons; sceleratus, to things; and, in general, things can be called scelesta only by personification. In like manner nefarius and impius are applied to the impiety of the person who acts; only with this distinction, that the impius is wicked only in mind, the nefarius in his actions also; whereas nefandus refers to the horrible enormity of an action): malus (wicked by nature; opposed to bonus): pravus (corrupted by bad habits). (The words are found in this connection and order.) malus pravusque; homo nequam (a worthless fellow; opposed to frugi). According to Döderlein, malus homo is a morally bad man; but nequam, a good-for-nothing man, whose faultiness shows itself in aversion to useful labor, and a propensity to idleness and folly; opposed to frugi; pravus, a man whose character has taken a vicious direction; in a physical, or intellectual, or moral point of view; opposed to rectus. (Handbook, p. 131.) A wicked action, impie factum; scelus; nefas.