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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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
Her narrative focus has shifted from a hopeful idealism to something bordering on world-weariness, as her excoriating prose focuses more on bad actors—ineffectual politicians, vicious drug dealers, corrupt judiciaries.
—
Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
Not yet a teenager, Jayden Perkins was forced to protect his pregnant mother from a vicious attack on March 13, 2024, in their Edgewater apartment.
—Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
Feeling profoundly betrayed and abandoned by David, Rebecca’s loyalty lies with the vicious and conniving Juno, the only family she’s known for the last decade.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
Nothing could possibly go wrong with all the vicious alien specimens on board, right?
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vicious
Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
Not yet a teenager, Jayden Perkins was forced to protect his pregnant mother from a vicious attack on March 13, 2024, in their Edgewater apartment.
—Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
Feeling profoundly betrayed and abandoned by David, Rebecca’s loyalty lies with the vicious and conniving Juno, the only family she’s known for the last decade.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
Nothing could possibly go wrong with all the vicious alien specimens on board, right?
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicious
Adjective
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The dog days of summer brought intense heat to the Volunteer State, including a nearly month-long streak of 90-degree days in July, the fifth longest in Nashville’s history, said the weather service.—
Diana Leyva,
The Tennessean,
23 Aug. 2025
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According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the symptoms of a snake bite differ depending on the species, but common signs near the wound include puncture marks, bleeding, redness, swelling, bruising, blistering and intense pain.—
Tina Chen,
Mercury News,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The exhibit explores the brutal history of the domestic slave trade in the American South and the labor performed by enslaved Africans, primarily in South Carolina.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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Friends can lie, colleagues can backstab, anyone can die in any number of brutal ways.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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He was indicted on two charges, including conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants and unlawful transportation of migrants without legal status.—
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán,
NPR,
25 Aug. 2025
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There are widespread reports of extrajudicial killings, psychological intimidation, unlawful detentions, torture, child kidnappings and disappearances.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
24 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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Here is another example from my work: a luxury brand facing daily phishing attacks receives real-time alerts with direct links to malicious sites, allowing their legal team to act immediately.—
Dima Raketa,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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Some states are still without such laws, however, leaving resident vulnerable to malicious lawsuits.—
Angele Latham,
The Tennessean,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Landing after months of public sparring between county leaders and the governor, the letter signaled the start of an intensive review that would put nearly every corner of county government under Tallahassee’s microscope.—
Josh Salman,
Miami Herald,
29 Aug. 2025
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If maintaining that critical adaptation becomes more energy intensive, sharks are likely to suffer for it.—
Lauren Leffer,
Popular Science,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The series centers on a group of kids with latent or emerging special abilities who are subjected to cruel experiments at the mysterious institute of the title, along with a local cop (Ben Barnes) whose story intersects with that of the kids.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Aug. 2025
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Auggie isn’t a cruel, withholding bigot, but a stable and loving parent.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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As these evil forces encroach, the pup finds the courage to protect his owner and territory.—
Connor Merrihew,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Aug. 2025
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Somehow the lucky, evil, nefarious Wordle Bot guessed in just two today!—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicious. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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