1
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
a vicious winter storm ripped through the region
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
That new life fueled a vicious rally attempt after the break – starting with a corner opportunity in the first two minutes.
—
Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
Egyptian influencers linked to intelligence fronts launched vicious personal attacks, including ethnic slurs, against the Saudi royal family and graphic insults targeting the crown prince.
—Khaled Hassan, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
This was an outrageously heinous and vicious act.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2025
Trading a whodunit for a slow-motion train wreck about an endearing criminal whose very, very bad decisions inspire the ire of a vicious biker gang and the titular task force, Task stars Mark Ruffalo, Tom Pelphrey, Emilia Jones and Silvia Dionicio.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vicious
Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
Egyptian influencers linked to intelligence fronts launched vicious personal attacks, including ethnic slurs, against the Saudi royal family and graphic insults targeting the crown prince.
—Khaled Hassan, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
This was an outrageously heinous and vicious act.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2025
Trading a whodunit for a slow-motion train wreck about an endearing criminal whose very, very bad decisions inspire the ire of a vicious biker gang and the titular task force, Task stars Mark Ruffalo, Tom Pelphrey, Emilia Jones and Silvia Dionicio.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicious
Adjective
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This blaze is intense enough that firefighters used water lines to moisten the soil around trees and wrapped their trunks with fire-resistant foil blankets.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
20 Sep. 2025
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From time to time, there’s still an intense demand for anything connected to the Fab Four, and countless films, books, and albums have been issued in the decades since the musicians split.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Given the Normans’ brutal treatment of the English and their subsequent expansion across the Mediterranean, there are undeniable parallels between 1066 and later spasms of European expansionism.—
Will Collins,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
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The eight-episode thriller, which premieres September 19 on ViX, follows Nolasco Black (Bichir), a forensic dentist investigating brutal murders in 19th century Veracruz who discovers evidence that the infamous London killer has crossed the Atlantic.—
Veronica Villafañe,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In November, jurors convicted Martinez of unlawful compensation and a related conspiracy charge.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
15 Sep. 2025
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The world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice, has ruled that there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza, and that Israel’s occupation and apartheid against Palestinians are unlawful.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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My father was a thirty-two-year-old tank commander who had crossed to occupied France shortly after D-Day, fought in the savage battle for Caen and then on through northern France.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Sep. 2025
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This thrilling prequel stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa and Alyla Browne as young Furiosa, who is abducted by the savage warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) — leader of the Biker Horde — and spends the next decade in captivity plotting her revenge and escape.—
Charlotte Walsh,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
20 Sep. 2025
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If the vulnerability had been discovered by, or fallen into the hands of, malicious hackers, the fallout could have been devastating.—
Kevin Purdy,
ArsTechnica,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Poore pivoted to other ventures to make ends meet after the storm struck, including trail clearing, trail education and intensive workshops on trail maintenance.—
Graham Hurley,
CNN Money,
21 Sep. 2025
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Dumplings can be time (and labor) intensive to prepare.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Sena was crying in pain, and so were her new owners, who even questioned whether keeping her alive was cruel.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
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Directed by Oliver Laxe, who’s been making waves at Cannes for years, the movie is funny and warm in parts, cruel and cold in others.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Maybe evil is a spiritual substance in and of itself.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
21 Sep. 2025
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Kang drew inspiration from gut, traditional Korean folk dancers who performed rituals to protect communities from demons and evil spirits.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicious. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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