as in venom
the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm
there was no reason other than pure malice to spread such disgusting lies all over campus
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Recent Examples of malice
Mlotek and her husband separated after thirteen years together, with none of the complicating factors that often accompany separations—no kids, no entangled finances, no debts, no pets, no blame, no malice.
—
Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2025
Slightly off-topic comments can derail it so far away from the original point, and it isn't always done with malice.
—Peter Suciu, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
To borrow another logical principle, Hanlon's razor: Don't ascribe to malice that which can be otherwise explained by rank incompetence.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Trump lost in 2020 because voters, weary of a political diet consisting of huge dollops of turmoil smothered in a gravy of malice, thought Joe Biden promised tranquility.
—George Will, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malice
Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2025
Slightly off-topic comments can derail it so far away from the original point, and it isn't always done with malice.
—Peter Suciu, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
To borrow another logical principle, Hanlon's razor: Don't ascribe to malice that which can be otherwise explained by rank incompetence.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Trump lost in 2020 because voters, weary of a political diet consisting of huge dollops of turmoil smothered in a gravy of malice, thought Joe Biden promised tranquility.
—George Will, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malice
Noun
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Though interesting to look at, the Portuguese man-of-war’s venom can be deadly to small fish and painful to humans, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.—
Natalie Demaree,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2025
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The venom also contains hemorrhagic toxins which can cause severe internal bleeding and skeletal muscle damage.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
While highlighting the vicious cycle of ethnic hatred, Gavin strives for impartiality.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Love has triumphed over hatred, light over darkness and truth over falsehood.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr.,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
There’s a great line: Honesty without compassion equals cruelty.—
Jayson Jenks,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
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In each of these films, cruelty commingles with tenderness, and hideous acts take place against backdrops of often stunning natural beauty.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
In spite of that, Alexander said, intentional misinformation has been circulating that Anthony’s family had bought a new home with the funds raised and was living in luxury.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Hadid, for example, is attractive not because of—but rather in spite of—her eyewear choice.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
At others, there are undertones of malevolence, potential violence.—
Deborah Treisman,
The New Yorker,
16 Mar. 2025
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Or in the case of Polanski’s, of the Hey-nothing-personal malevolence of late-model capitalism?—
Jim Shepard,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
When expectant fathers face hostility or subtle exclusion at work, the consequences can extend beyond their own careers.—
Kim Elsesser,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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Questions were raised over Putin’s motives in calling the brief halt to hostilities, which came just after the Trump administration threatened to abandon peace efforts without tangible signs of progress.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
His Cyrano is the play’s hero, even if the character’s psychological limitations are as much a factor in the story as the machinations of De Guiche, whose malignity is sent up in Nathanson’s flamboyantly comic turn.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Sep. 2024
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For a decade, the central drama of Trumpism has concerned the Republican élites who continued to support him—the story has been about their malignity, or opportunism, or willful moral blindness.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
The New Yorker,
16 Sep. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Malice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malice. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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