as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
the novel grossly oversimplified the conflict as a struggle between relentlessly malevolent villains on one side and faultless saints on the other
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of malevolent
As such, the biggest departure from the previous Final Destination movies is how death goes after families, and the faceless entity without a physical presence is as malevolent as ever.
—
Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Soon, a malevolent fetch -- his ghostly double -- emerges, taunting him with hallucinations of his dead son and dragging him toward the brink of madness.
—Arkansas Online, 22 May 2025
Mike Tyson spent half a decade wearing nothing but a towel to the center of the boxing ring, letting his malevolent fists do the talking.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 22 May 2025
But just for the record, the basic situation in The Final Reckoning is this: a malevolent AI program called the Entity is taking over cyberspace.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for malevolent
Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Soon, a malevolent fetch -- his ghostly double -- emerges, taunting him with hallucinations of his dead son and dragging him toward the brink of madness.
—Arkansas Online, 22 May 2025
Mike Tyson spent half a decade wearing nothing but a towel to the center of the boxing ring, letting his malevolent fists do the talking.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 22 May 2025
But just for the record, the basic situation in The Final Reckoning is this: a malevolent AI program called the Entity is taking over cyberspace.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for malevolent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malevolent
Adjective
-
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2025
-
Implement web filtering to restrict access to known malicious websites.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Adjective
-
The Republican tax bill could push food assistance in Colorado into a vicious cycle of funding cuts, increasing mistakes in determining eligibility and further funding cuts to punish those mistakes, Gov. Jared Polis warned in a letter to congressional leaders Friday.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
16 June 2025
-
Plaschke delivers a vicious uppercut to his opponent.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2025
Adjective
-
This is cruel, unnecessary, and will further fan the flames of economic chaos for working families across this country.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
-
And for every San Antonio, there is a Utah or Washington or Charlotte that can’t believe how cruel the lottery can be.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
Black said the synagogue has received hateful emails and phone calls.—
Rosario Del Valle,
Sun Sentinel,
3 June 2025
-
Hamas, Iran, and their allies and ideological sympathizers in the West have flooded the world with their hateful lies and antisemitic incitement since October 7 — lies designed to demonize Israel, the Jewish people, and their supporters.—
Patrick Hipes,
Deadline,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malevolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malevolent. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share