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
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Recent Examples of malicious
In that case, the charging order is violated (and the LLC could theoretically be held in contempt), but the debtor did not engage in any willful or malicious conduct because of the LLC's actions.
—
Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Murphy is not acting alone, however, as he’s been assigned to the journey out of a labor camp run by a merciless, tobacco-spitting boss (Russell Crowe) — and some in his merriless band turn out to be savvier, and more malicious, than others.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2026
Their faltering attempt at a total crackdown—which can’t muzzle the anger and bravery of ordinary people—and its general odor of malicious incompetence, is even seeping into the White House’s hermetic media echo chamber.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
He's charged with reckless operation of a motor vehicle, malicious destruction of property over $1,200, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
—Penny Kmitt, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for malicious
Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Murphy is not acting alone, however, as he’s been assigned to the journey out of a labor camp run by a merciless, tobacco-spitting boss (Russell Crowe) — and some in his merriless band turn out to be savvier, and more malicious, than others.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2026
Their faltering attempt at a total crackdown—which can’t muzzle the anger and bravery of ordinary people—and its general odor of malicious incompetence, is even seeping into the White House’s hermetic media echo chamber.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
He's charged with reckless operation of a motor vehicle, malicious destruction of property over $1,200, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
—Penny Kmitt, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for malicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malicious
Adjective
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Catherine’s brother Hindley, a vicious bully whose abuse is part of what drives Cathy and Heathcliff so closely together, is cut entirely, his role combined with Catherine’s father.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
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Everyone is fair game for her vicious tongue.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Decades later, in a cruel twist of fate, the Guthrie family is no longer pantomiming a kidnapping.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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Rojas was never treated by a physician while at El Helicoide, where human rights groups have denounced cases of cruel, inhuman treatment and torture.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This is not the first time that Peacock has taken to social media to ask viewers to refrain from sending hateful messages.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Jan. 2026
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Since 2004, Orange County also has been predominantly nonwhite, but some conservative families, such as Woodward’s, bond over a hateful ideology.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The mother of three was first spotted with the hunky Larocca, in October 2024, about six months after the nasty breakup with Hall.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
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Talarico remarked that the nasty interloper would provide good color for my story, and then recalled the time that former Governor Rick Perry had encountered a coyote while running outside Austin—and shot it dead.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The series follows a teenage boy who forms an unlikely alliance with the Fairy Queen of Celtic lore to search for malevolent mythical creatures from around the world, among them the Yeti, Baba Yaga and a Lady Dracula — not to destroy them, but to save them from impending doom.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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And then there's Reinhardt's sinister robot sidekick Maximilian, a silent, malevolent presence who has no qualms about slicing up humans with his Swiss Army Knife-esque collection of torture devices.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Melvin Williams, a professor of communication and media studies at Pace University, says the spiteful nature of Swift and Lively's texts doesn't reflect well on either woman − and both have probably lost some fans as a result.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
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If not for Camilla, who’d gone out of her way to take Regina in, even letting her share the bedroom with her and Lalla, the others wouldn’t have welcomed her—not out of spite, no, because none of them were spiteful after all, but out of indifference, selfishness, plain and simple.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Mancini then missed the 2020 season after surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his colon.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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The dogs learn how to identify the cancer by smelling three boxes, with one containing a sample of malignant blood.—
Stephanie Stahl,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Malicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malicious. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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