as in vicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
the neighborhood chatterbox has again been spreading malicious gossip
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 malicious
Vincent Baglio, 31, of Arlington, was arrested on charges of malicious wounding, according to the Arlington County Police Department.
—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
2 July 2026
The company said those measures were in place because of bad actors who use powerful AI systems for malicious cyber- and biology purposes.
—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
1 July 2026
There is so much evil and suffering in the world, so much conniving and malicious intent, and the self is, at least, a familiar foe.
—
Meghan O’Gieblyn,
Harpers Magazine,
30 June 2026
Associate Judge Andi Saputra, who offered the sole dissenting opinion in the decision and called for acquittal, said the case offered no proof of malicious intent, wrongdoing or any indication of a conflict of interest.
—
Chandra Asmara,
Fortune,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for malicious
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
2 July 2026
The company said those measures were in place because of bad actors who use powerful AI systems for malicious cyber- and biology purposes.
—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
1 July 2026
There is so much evil and suffering in the world, so much conniving and malicious intent, and the self is, at least, a familiar foe.
—
Meghan O’Gieblyn,
Harpers Magazine,
30 June 2026
Associate Judge Andi Saputra, who offered the sole dissenting opinion in the decision and called for acquittal, said the case offered no proof of malicious intent, wrongdoing or any indication of a conflict of interest.
—
Chandra Asmara,
Fortune,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for malicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malicious
Adjective
-
This vicious machine chewed him up and spit him out in predictable fashion.
-
The mood changed a bit when Tab Ramos took a vicious elbow to the side of his head and fractured his skull.
Adjective
-
Swift moved on from one Brit to the next, quietly dating actor Joe Alwyn from 2017 to 2023, while the world spent back-to-back cruel summers without Taymerica.
-
This is particularly gratifying given the absurd and cruel trolling the young actress received from the toxic corners of internet fandom leading up to the film’s release.
Adjective
-
Social media sites used for hateful comments Pumphrey made threatening posts on the social media platform YouTube and other social media sites, according to the guilty plea.
-
Political podcasters such as Tucker Carlson peddle conspiracies and lies, and there seems to be little consequence for hateful rhetoric.
Adjective
-
Including some rather nasty, big corpo bullies who enlist specialist teams to hunt down clues, and other players, too.
-
Betty Kovacs, the eldest daughter of comedian Ernie Kovacs who with her sister Kippie and stepmother, actress-singer Edie Adams, was at the center of a nasty custody battle that kept Hollywood riveted in 1962, has died.
Adjective
-
Peter Gosselin Washington Moyn’s article and the accompanying cover photograph—showing old people as malevolent and evil—were not up to the usual standards of Harper’s Magazine.
-
Or was the hole man-made with a malevolent intent, perhaps plundering a grave for artifacts?
Adjective
-
Everyone has an acid tongue and brims with spiteful resentment.
-
This is an essential part of our checks and balances system to prevent a corrupt president from dragging our nation into costly, dangerous, or spiteful wars.
Adjective
-
Various types of cancer, in which malignant tumors invade surrounding tissues, contributed to between 13,000 and 20,000 deaths annually in this time frame.
-
Asymptomatic lesions discovered incidentally in populations could also be monitored en masse to generate a robust database that would help researchers learn which types of lesions are more (or less) likely to turn malignant.
Cite this Entry
“Malicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malicious. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
