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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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
Is this the start of a vicious cycle or the first step in a national transformation?
—
Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 10 Apr. 2025
Beijing has retaliated with 34% tariffs on all goods imported from the U.S.
U.S. equities capped off a vicious week for investors last Friday, with the S&P 500 down 9.08%, according to data from FactSet, as Trump’s moves stoke fears of a global economic slowdown.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025
Before the vicious stabbing, the unidentified 45-year-old attacker snuck up behind a 29-year-old woman walking east on Broome St. toward Wooster St., and tossed a green designer water bottle at her, hitting her in the back and breaking the bottle.
—Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2025
Softened by pride, Amber slinks away herself, albeit much more cutely than Gregory and accompanied by a vicious side-eye.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vicious
Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 10 Apr. 2025
Beijing has retaliated with 34% tariffs on all goods imported from the U.S.
U.S. equities capped off a vicious week for investors last Friday, with the S&P 500 down 9.08%, according to data from FactSet, as Trump’s moves stoke fears of a global economic slowdown.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025
Before the vicious stabbing, the unidentified 45-year-old attacker snuck up behind a 29-year-old woman walking east on Broome St. toward Wooster St., and tossed a green designer water bottle at her, hitting her in the back and breaking the bottle.
—Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2025
Softened by pride, Amber slinks away herself, albeit much more cutely than Gregory and accompanied by a vicious side-eye.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicious
Adjective
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Whether singing a cappella or accompanied by her guitar to hundreds or thousands of people − at a small venue or an awards show − Lafourcade's performances feel visceral, intense and intimate all at once.—
Pamela Avila,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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In place of intense (and potentially irritating) acids, Mediheal's Madecassoside Blemish Pads target breakouts and breakout-causing bacteria with anti-inflammatory powerhouses madecassoside and cica.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But graduating in 2009 meant stepping into a brutal job market during the Great Recession.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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At times brutal and always volatile, the album functions as a sort of electro-shock therapy applied from the shoulders down, layering hard beats, ambient whorls, and nervous acid ticks to trigger a state of full-body rapture.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The suit will argue that Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which grants the president increased powers during an economic emergency, to impose tariffs is unlawful and requires congressional approval.—
Elaine Mallon,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Apr. 2025
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The lawsuit will argue that Trump's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to enact tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China is unlawful.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 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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These emails might include malicious links designed to install malware or steal login information.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
FOXNews.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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Time to update: Apple has discovered hackers exploiting an iOS bug via malicious media files.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Since early March, Israel has cut Gaza off from the supply of humanitarian aid including food, with aid agencies warning that the situation for the strip’s 2 million civilians has deteriorated dangerously, only worsened by intensive Israeli military operations.—
Irene Nasser,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2025
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Now, more than six months after first complaining of stomach pain, Butlin started her first three-month course of intensive chemotherapy on April 8.—
Vanessa Etienne,
People.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Such evidence could support the view that incessant loud noise amounts to torture or cruel treatment towards cetaceans, in turn galvanizing support for a new right to be free from such harm.—
David Gruber,
Time,
24 Apr. 2025
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But this is the cruel and unreasonable state of this Administration's deportation policy.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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While the practice of using haint blue to ward off evil spirits might not be as common, the color has bled into the mainstream, with major paint companies like Sherwin-Williams and PPG Industries, Inc selling paint inspired by the shade.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
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But who exactly is The Sentry, what are his origins, powers, and comrades in the fight against justice, and what’s the deal with his evil subconscious manifestation, The Void?—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicious. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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