as in vicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
the neighborhood chatterbox has again been spreading malicious gossip
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of malicious
None of it was with malicious intent.
—
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
The 18- and 19-year-old suspects were taken into custody on charges of assault and battery of a police officer, malicious destruction of property, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
—Joe Kottke, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2025
Lorena, now 55, was charged with malicious wounding, a felony offense, but was found not guilty by reason of temporary insanity following a two-week trial in early 1994.
—Mark Gray, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
Alexander Lewis, 32, faces charges of disturbing schools and malicious injury to property after allegedly using a spray designed to mimic the smell of feces.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malicious
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
The 18- and 19-year-old suspects were taken into custody on charges of assault and battery of a police officer, malicious destruction of property, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
—Joe Kottke, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2025
Lorena, now 55, was charged with malicious wounding, a felony offense, but was found not guilty by reason of temporary insanity following a two-week trial in early 1994.
—Mark Gray, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
Alexander Lewis, 32, faces charges of disturbing schools and malicious injury to property after allegedly using a spray designed to mimic the smell of feces.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malicious
Adjective
-
Make people laugh and help people out and just keep that vicious cycle of fun going.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Some beaches along the East Coast might no longer exist after a vicious storm threatening significant coastal flooding passes through the area this weekend, AccuWeather warned in an email to reporters on Thursday.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This culture is incredibly cruel, and things have gotten really obscene.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Oct. 2025
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Supporters of the new laws praised the legislation as a major step toward ending cruel breeding practices and protecting consumers.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Many figures not only on the Israeli right, but also in the West, argue that the Palestinian people and their cause are inherently hateful and prone to anti-Jewish violence.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The show follows Ed Gein (Charlie Hunnam), an unassuming and odd man, working his family’s farm under the watchful eye of his hateful and vicious mother, Augusta (Laurie Metcalf).—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Removing Stains From Wood Cabinets Food, beverages, and dirty hands can leave nasty stains behind, even after cleaning.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Oct. 2025
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The overriding question should be will the Texas line figure out how to protect QB Arch Manning from OU’s nasty front four?—
Matt Hayes,
USA TODAY,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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From her first visit to the Rue de Fleurus, Dodge had considered Toklas a malevolent presence in the household.—
Via Scribner,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
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When a dark influence begins to grip Todd, Indy must fight a malevolent force.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Several diss tracks followed, with the musicians hurling increasingly spiteful insults at each other relating to accusations of domestic abuse, exploitation and pedophilia.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Oct. 2025
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They were clouded by an entire era of underperformance, tough luck and spiteful ownership.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Senator John McCain died in 2018 at the age of 81 due to a malignant brain tumor.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
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Given her age at the time, the chance of a malignant tumor seemed highly unlikely, as the average age to start breast cancer screening is around 40.—
Essence,
Essence,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malicious. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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