as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
the novel grossly oversimplified the conflict as a struggle between relentlessly malevolent villains on one side and faultless saints on the other
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Recent Examples of malevolent
This saga is almost a perfect encapsulation of the administration, which somehow manages to be both malevolent and incompetent, highly disorganized while still doing a lot of damage.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Red thread radiates from Stalin’s eyes like light from a malevolent sun, while other faces disappear behind horizontal bars of stitching, imprisoned by embroidery.
—Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
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
But Saccharine slips off the rails, especially once Hana convinces Josie that Bertha’s spirit has latched onto her in malevolent ways, growing bigger and stronger all the time.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for malevolent
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Red thread radiates from Stalin’s eyes like light from a malevolent sun, while other faces disappear behind horizontal bars of stitching, imprisoned by embroidery.
—Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
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
But Saccharine slips off the rails, especially once Hana convinces Josie that Bertha’s spirit has latched onto her in malevolent ways, growing bigger and stronger all the time.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for malevolent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malevolent
Adjective
-
The malicious actor hacked into Weiss’s contact’s Telegram, arranged a video call with him, and attempted to run a script on his computer to get his passwords.—
Carlos Garcia,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
There’s nothing malicious or negative about [their split].—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Moreover, this isn’t your responsibility, particularly after a history of such vicious attacks.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Be cautious — but don’t write off rattlesnakes as vicious, the experts say.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Its tulle is brittle and sharp, brushing against my fur like a thousand tiny teeth, a cruel lover that bites with every move.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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Because here’s the last, and cruelest, kicker.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For generations, students have learned about complex historical figures who, despite their positive contributions to society, were inarguably problematic, hateful or bigoted while alive.—
Kristy Hutchings,
Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Why would the Sun Sentinel print opinions clearly based on nothing but hateful personal feelings?—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Malevolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malevolent. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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