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
The actor doesn’t appear on camera but voices a character who seems innocent but turns out to have malevolent intentions.
—
Abigail Lee, Variety, 14 June 2025
That lesson is relevant far beyond Ukraine, wherever ordinary people face the threat of becoming cogs in the machinery of malevolent administrations.
—Uilleam Blacker, The Atlantic, 4 June 2025
The unstoppable spread of a malevolent fungal strain called cordyceps has ravaged the global population and turned ordinary human beings into zombies who survive only by feasting on the flesh of the uninfected, thereby plunging society into an unimaginable nightmare.
—Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 30 May 2025
The film’s synopsis reads: Set in London’s iconic shadowy underground, the malevolent figure of Creep unleashes fresh terror on unsuspecting tube passengers and Londoners.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for malevolent
Abigail Lee, Variety, 14 June 2025
That lesson is relevant far beyond Ukraine, wherever ordinary people face the threat of becoming cogs in the machinery of malevolent administrations.
—Uilleam Blacker, The Atlantic, 4 June 2025
The unstoppable spread of a malevolent fungal strain called cordyceps has ravaged the global population and turned ordinary human beings into zombies who survive only by feasting on the flesh of the uninfected, thereby plunging society into an unimaginable nightmare.
—Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 30 May 2025
The film’s synopsis reads: Set in London’s iconic shadowy underground, the malevolent figure of Creep unleashes fresh terror on unsuspecting tube passengers and Londoners.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for malevolent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malevolent
Adjective
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
28 June 2025
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The first-degree arson charges and malicious damage by explosive charges are connected to the damage to two homes on each side of Barnette’s property.—
Jeff A. Chamer,
Charlotte Observer,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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This approach costs three times more than housing people and creates a vicious cycle — incarceration increases homelessness risk by destroying community connections and employment prospects.—
Mahdi E Diab,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 June 2025
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Of course, no conversation about Yellowjackets season 3 would be complete without a deep dive into Shauna's vicious throw down with Swank's Melissa — during which Shauna rips a chunk of flesh off Melissa's arm with her teeth and forces her to eat it.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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What is a totalitarian leader other than an individualist taking that creed to its cruel conclusions, erasing the uniqueness of every other person into mere characters in a drama?—
Ed Simon
June 23,
Literary Hub,
23 June 2025
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This realization reconfigures the entire book, recasting their ongoing dialogue and seemingly cordial relations as an interstellar jail—and the novel itself into an extended, especially cruel prison sentence.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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This hateful message emboldened the audience to boo when graduates in Jewish Studies and Hebrew were called to the stage.—
Isabella Brannon,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2025
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Wilcox’s attorney, Bryant Scriven, told the Orlando Sentinel his client was a disabled military veteran who is neither a violent nor a hateful person.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malevolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malevolent. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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