1
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
a vicious winter storm ripped through the region
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
she made a vicious effort to destroy the lives of the people who had wronged her
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unlawful
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable
a truly vicious person detested by almost everyone
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4
as in savage
violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition
a vicious dog that has already bitten several people
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5
as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
he spread vicious rumors about his ex-wife after their bitter divorce
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vicious
Three, there is tremendous fright here in the way Honeywell stock trades, The moves are particularly vicious.
—
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 July 2025
Debra Messing winning for the Will & Grace episode where the titular characters have a vicious argument about having a baby together is but one example.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 26 July 2025
Adding to the primitive nature, Iman’s eyes were colored with brown shadow, and her lips boasted a vicious wine-colored lipstick.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 25 July 2025
Over time, this can create a vicious cycle where poor sleep and chronic anxiety feed into each other, creating a loop that damages your well-being.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for vicious
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 July 2025
Debra Messing winning for the Will & Grace episode where the titular characters have a vicious argument about having a baby together is but one example.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 26 July 2025
Adding to the primitive nature, Iman’s eyes were colored with brown shadow, and her lips boasted a vicious wine-colored lipstick.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 25 July 2025
Over time, this can create a vicious cycle where poor sleep and chronic anxiety feed into each other, creating a loop that damages your well-being.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for vicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicious
Adjective
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The team observed laser emissions in two distinct wavelengths for all color regions of the feathers' eyespots, with the green color regions emitting the most intense laser light.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
30 July 2025
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In Naomi Alderman's contemporary work, the recognizable world is all but the same, except for the shocking revelation that teenage girls can now conduct electricity to cause intense physical pain or death to others.—
Robert English,
EW.com,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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Southerners quickly learn how to survive brutal summer temperatures.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
23 July 2025
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According to an arrest affidavit obtained by USA Today, the 21-year-old approached a woman from behind at a self-checkout lane at a Walmart in Tennessee, and launched into a brutal attack.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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After the incident, the McCloskeys's were were seized by law enforcement, and they were charged with unlawful use of a weapon by St. Louis' former Democratic prosecutor, Kim Gardner.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
3 Aug. 2025
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On July 12, 2024, Valdes was charged with one count each of first-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon in Kansas City, according to a Jackson County court document.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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Cybercriminals often scan inactive IP ranges, using them for various malicious activities.—
Vincentas Grinius,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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How the Facebook crypto scam works Bitdefender Labs reports that a malicious ad campaign has been running on Facebook for several months.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Critics question whether a battery swap network—capital intensive, dependent on fleet adoption, and distributed across so many different markets—can scale profitably.—
Clay Chandler,
Fortune,
19 July 2025
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An intensive moisturiser that delivers maximum hydration, Revision’s DermProtect Barrier Defense™ also replenishes natural lipids, and enhances moisture retention.—
Angela Lei,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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In an inordinately cowardly and cruel act, Rubio stayed away from the department that day, ignoring the men and women whose careers and life plans were decimated by his flippant decision-making.—
Lynn Northcutt Vega,
Sun Sentinel,
29 July 2025
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A little more than a year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a decision from the Ninth Circuit that determined a ban on people sleeping in public was constitutionally cruel and unusual.—
Natalie Eilbert,
jsonline.com,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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Thanks to now-iconic moments like Bob Barker’s surprisingly physical cameo and a cast including Christopher McDonald as Happy’s cartoonishly evil rival Shooter McGavin, the movie became a cult classic.—
Skyler Trepel,
EW.com,
25 July 2025
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Evan Peters is the evil tech exec Julian Dillinger.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicious. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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