It's great that you were keyed in to gender and endings, as so many who aren't sensitive to them from their own language miss that. And sure enough, for grandis, you would need to make it neuter: grande malum, a perfectly fine phrase that is attested in Classical Latin.

Another way would be to use magnum (think "Pompey the Great" = Pompeius Magnus), and sure enough magnum malum is really common as well.

You should be aware though that malum can also be "a bad thing," and that "evil" in English used to be synonymous with "bad", but has a more sinister tone to it. While I think a Roman writer wouldn't have batted an eye at magnum malum, for your game, you may want to consider something else.

One way to do that is to turning magnum or grande into a superlative: maximum malum (or grandissimum malum, but with a heavy preference on the former for all sorts of reasons).

You could also choose a different word for evil. In particular, you have scelus (wickedness, crime, evil deed), which could work, or nefas, which is more classical than Medieval, I believe.

Both are nouns properly and are neuter, so you wouldn't need to change the accompanying adjectives.

However, if this "great evil" is a person, you might have to opt for Malus (masc.) or Mala (fem.), and the endings for the adjectives would be changed to -us and -a for magn-, maxim- or -is for grand-, respectively.

Answer from cmw on Stack Exchange
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DictZone
dictzone.com › english-latin-dictionary › evil
Evil meaning in Latin
immundus [immunda, immundum]+adjective · maleficentia [maleficentiae]+(1st) F noun
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WordHippo
wordhippo.com › what-is › the › latin-word-for-b653891162a040e1bfe6e436bdcd93827e0c56e5.html
How to say evil in Latin
Latin words for evil include malum, maligno and malignus. Find more Latin words at wordhippo.com!
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Latdict
latin-dictionary.net › search › english › evil › 2
English Definitions for: evil (English Search) - Latin Dictionary and Grammar Resources - Latdict
Word List · Grammar · Why Latin? About · Showing page 2 of 3. Found 69 results total. < Prev · 1 · 2 · 3 · Next > #26 · noun · declension: 1st declension · gender: feminine · Definitions: evil ways · idleness · negligence · wickedness · worthlessness · Age: In use throughout the ages/unknown · Area: All or none · Geography: All or none · Frequency: For ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/etymology › the various meanings of the word "malus" in latin.
r/etymology on Reddit: The various meanings of the word "malus" in Latin.
August 16, 2018 -

In looking up the word "malus", I found that it can mean "evil" or "apple" or all "an upright pole, or mast".

Are these words just homophones, or is there more subtle etymology that caused these ideas to be related?

Discussions

The various meanings of the word "malus" in Latin.
There's a length distinction: short A = evil; long A = apple. The words are unrelated etymolgically. The Wiktionary entry has more details. More on reddit.com
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27
90
August 16, 2018
How to properly translate "Great Evil" into medieval Latin? - Latin Language Stack Exchange
That said, I'm not overly familiar ... that word is represented there. I can take a look sometime later on that. ... I see. Thank you. It was really helpful! ... @cmw Infandum malum perhaps? It does not seem to be a particularly common medieval expression, though. ... @SebastianKoppehel I don't know how common that is in medieval Latin, but Seneca has it, so presumably it wasn't unknown. It's certainly a good suggestion for "unspeakable evil"... More on latin.stackexchange.com
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December 9, 2022
Original meaning of 'malum' - Learning Latin - Textkit Greek and Latin
The word “malum, mali” has two principle meanings: evil, bad apple, fruit, apple tree Does the association of ‘malum’ with evil have anything to do with the role of the apple in the story of Adam and Eve? If so, which was the original meaning of the word in pre-Chrsitian times? More on textkit.com
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0
February 14, 2011
"Protect Me From Evil" - servo mihi ex malum / contego de m?
I gather he is doing all forms of evil so yes, the mass plural and not singular entity? So for the answer to the chap's tattoo question it is ME A MALO, with the choice of word for 'protect' Now there's another debate. Protego, Contego, Libera, Defende and so on. Click to expand... I am very confused. This is a matter of declension. It has nothing to do with plural. You have studied Latin ... More on latindiscussion.org
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15
May 18, 2009
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Membean
membean.com › roots › mal-bad
Word Root: mal (Root) | Membean
The Latin root word mal means “bad” or “evil.” This root is the word origin of many English vocabulary words, including malformed, maltreat, and malice.
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Merriam-Webster
merriam-webster.com › dictionary › sinister
SINISTER Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
2 days ago - Sinister comes from a Latin word meaning “on the left side, unlucky, inauspicious.” Although it is commonly used today in the sense “evil” (“a sinister cult leader”; “a sinister plot”), it may also suggest an ominous foreshadowing ...
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Quora
quora.com › Why-are-the-words-“malum”-apple-and-“malus”-evil-so-close
Why are the words “malum” (apple) and “malus” (evil) so ...
While the word for evil is likely a native Latin word, with ancient cognates such as the Avestan (Ancient Persian) mairiia (bad person/villain) (Memrise Vocabulary for Young Avestan), Sanskrit मल (mala, “dirt, filth, dust”) and Greek μέλᾱς (mélās) “dark” and figuratively “evil.”
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Edonnelly
edonnelly.com › latin › vocabBasic.php
edonnelly.com - Nouns and Related Words: Evil
Nouns and Related Words: Evil · Mouse over to see answers. IE users will have to double-click at the words to see them (due to deficiencies in IE). Probably you should consider getting a modern browser such as firefox. Latin Basic Vocabulary · Latin Tools ·
Find elsewhere
Top answer
1 of 2
5

It's great that you were keyed in to gender and endings, as so many who aren't sensitive to them from their own language miss that. And sure enough, for grandis, you would need to make it neuter: grande malum, a perfectly fine phrase that is attested in Classical Latin.

Another way would be to use magnum (think "Pompey the Great" = Pompeius Magnus), and sure enough magnum malum is really common as well.

You should be aware though that malum can also be "a bad thing," and that "evil" in English used to be synonymous with "bad", but has a more sinister tone to it. While I think a Roman writer wouldn't have batted an eye at magnum malum, for your game, you may want to consider something else.

One way to do that is to turning magnum or grande into a superlative: maximum malum (or grandissimum malum, but with a heavy preference on the former for all sorts of reasons).

You could also choose a different word for evil. In particular, you have scelus (wickedness, crime, evil deed), which could work, or nefas, which is more classical than Medieval, I believe.

Both are nouns properly and are neuter, so you wouldn't need to change the accompanying adjectives.

However, if this "great evil" is a person, you might have to opt for Malus (masc.) or Mala (fem.), and the endings for the adjectives would be changed to -us and -a for magn-, maxim- or -is for grand-, respectively.

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The Vulgata at Ieremias 32:42-44 has grande malum (in accusative, but for the neuter the nominative is the same). Many English translations translate that in great evil (e.g., King James).

The whole sentence is:

> Quia haec dicit Dominus: 
Sicut adduxi super populum istum omne malum hoc grande, 
sic adducam super eos omne bonum quod ego loquor ad eos.

The nominative neuter is either grande malum or malum grande, the former feels more medieval.

The malum grandis you found feels incorrect.

This is a full table of declensions:

Number Singular Singular Singular Plural Plural Plural
Case / Gender Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative Grandis Malus Grandis Mala Grande Malum Grandes Mali Grandes Malae Grandia Mala
Genitive Grandis Mali Grandis Malae Grandis Mali Grandium Malorum Grandium Malarum Grandium Malorum
Dative Grandi Malo Grandi Malae Grandi Malo Grandibus Malis Grandibus Malis Grandibus Malis
Accusative Grandem Malum Grandem Malam Grande Malum Grandes Malos
Grandis Malos
Grandes Malas
Grandis Malas
Grandia Mala
Ablative Grandi Malo Grandi Mala Grandi Malo Grandibus Malis Grandibus Malis Grandibus Malis
Vocative Grandis Male Grandis Mala Grande Malum Grandes Mali Grandes Malae Grandia Mala
Locative Grandi Malo Grandi Mala Grandi Malo Grandibus Malis Grandibus Malis Grandibus Malis
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Oreate AI
oreateai.com › blog › the-latin-roots-of-evil-exploring-the-word-malum › ca4549ff20c3e5f391d10125536c33af
The Latin Roots of Evil: Exploring the Word 'Malum' - Oreate AI Blog
January 7, 2026 - Exploring the Latin word 'malum,' meaning evil, reveals deep historical ties to morality and human behavior while prompting personal reflections on contemporary notions of wrongdoing.
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Textkit
textkit.com › latin › learning latin
Original meaning of 'malum' - Learning Latin - Textkit Greek and Latin
February 14, 2011 - The word “malum, mali” has two principle meanings: evil, bad apple, fruit, apple tree Does the association of ‘malum’ with evil have anything to do with the role of the apple in the story of Adam and Eve?
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Etymonline
etymonline.com › word › evil
Evil - Etymology, Origin & Meaning
c. 1300, "hostility, malevolence; a hostile action," from Old French iniquité, iniquiteit "wickedness; unfavorable situation" (12c.), from Latin iniquitatem (nominative iniquitas) "unequalness, unevenness," figuratively "unfavorableness, ...
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MyMemory
mymemory.translated.net › en › English › Latin › evil-one
Results for evil one translation from English to Latin
Contextual translation of "evil one" into Latin. Human translations with examples: mala, malum, diaboli, pure evil, maligno erat, expelle malum, evil minded person.
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UBC Math
personal.math.ubc.ca › ~cass › frivs › latin › m.html
Latin dictionary: M
malus peior pessimus : bad, wicked, evil. mancipo mancepo : to sell formally, turn over, give into charge. mancipo : to sell formally, give up. mandatum : order, decree, mandate, instruction. mando : to commit, entrust, order, command. mane : morning, early in the morning, early.
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Latin Dictionary
latin-dictionary.net › search › latin › mal
Latin Definitions for: mal (Latin Search) - Latin Dictionary and Grammar Resources - Latdict
Frequency: For Dictionary, in top 10,000 words · Source: Lewis & Short, “A Latin Dictionary”, 1879 (Lewis & Short) #10 · adjective · Definitions: harmful, noxious, injurious · of black magic · wicked, criminal, nefarious, evil · Age: In use throughout the ages/unknown ·
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Rosetta Stone
blog.rosettastone.com › home › spanish › 16 words and phrases for ‘evil’ in spanish
16 Words and Phrases for ‘Evil’ in Spanish - Rosetta Stone
August 18, 2025 - Era una historia del bien contra el mal. = It was a story of good versus evil. This Spanish noun and its plural form los malos commonly refer to “the bad guy/the bad guys” in a story or film. A common synonym is el villano (the villain).
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Latin D
latindiscussion.org › fora › latin translation › english to latin translation
"Protect Me From Evil" - servo mihi ex malum / contego de m? | Latin D
May 18, 2009 - I gather he is doing all forms of evil so yes, the mass plural and not singular entity? So for the answer to the chap's tattoo question it is ME A MALO, with the choice of word for 'protect' Now there's another debate. Protego, Contego, Libera, Defende and so on. Click to expand... I am very confused. This is a matter of declension. It has nothing to do with plural. You have studied Latin nouns and adjectives, yes?
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dict.cc
m.dict.cc › english-latin › evil.html
dict.cc | evil | English-Latin translation
Dictionarium latino-anglicum: Translations for the term 'evil' in the Latin-English dictionary
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Merriam-Webster
merriam-webster.com › wordplay › arts & culture › sinister and dexterity: why "left" is associated with evil | merriam-webster
Sinister and Dexterity: Why "Left" is Associated With Evil | Merriam-Webster
January 9, 2025 - The word sinister, suggestive of darkness or evil, comes from a Latin word meaning “on the left side.” The association of “left” with “evil” is likely because of the dominance of right-handed people within a population.