malicious

adjective

mə-ˈli-shəs How to pronounce malicious (audio)
Definition of maliciousnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of malicious The indictment, filed at the Beersheba District Court, also includes charges of armed trespassing and malicious property damage. — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026 In one case, an agent created fake online identities to pressure a person to approve use of malicious code. — ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026 In 2021, researchers discovered ILObleed, a malicious implant that infected HPE servers with wiper firmware that destroyed data stored on hard drives. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2026 Opening the file gives the malicious program a chance to run. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for malicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malicious
  1. vicious
  2. cruel
  3. hateful
  4. nasty
  5. malevolent
  6. spiteful
  7. malignant
Adjective
  • Several celebrities and their PR teams have denounced Hilton for his vicious public insults, including Khloe Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, and Lady Gaga, a former friend of Hilton.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The prequel details the vicious battle between former friends Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) for the Iron Throne and its subsequent reverberations.
    — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • Who could be so cruel as to cut off their family from the family plan?
    — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Influencer culture didn’t exist yet, but some designers were cruel and catty, even without the current omnipresent evil of social media.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 July 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • Yes, discipline, which is not a heavy and hateful word, because discipline is what frees us.
    — Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026
  • The goal isn’t to eliminate every harmful post or hateful idea.
    — Larry Magid, Mercury News, 30 July 2026
Definition of hateful
Adjective
  • Under its guidance, untold hectares of nasty greenery have succumbed to billions of dollars in herbicide.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The schedule is nasty, too, with the Wolverines’ first five Power 4 opponents all capable of winning nine or more games this year.
    — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of nasty
Adjective
  • The Gwi Realm is a desolate, crimson wasteland littered with malevolent presence, so naturally there have been comparisons to that other little Netflix show called Stranger Things.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Peter Gosselin Washington Moyn’s article and the accompanying cover photograph—showing old people as malevolent and evil—were not up to the usual standards of Harper’s Magazine.
    — Peter Gosselin, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
Definition of malevolent
Adjective
  • Everyone has an acid tongue and brims with spiteful resentment.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 27 May 2026
  • This is an essential part of our checks and balances system to prevent a corrupt president from dragging our nation into costly, dangerous, or spiteful wars.
    — Jeff Horseman, Oc Register, 5 May 2026
Definition of spiteful
Adjective
  • Trump obsessed, and is likely still obsessing about a malignant Chinese origin for the coronavirus.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The patient was selected because his condition, unlike cancers such as leukemia, did not carry the risk of reimplanting malignant cells along with the transplant that could lead to a recurrence.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 23 July 2026
Definition of malignant

Browse Nearby Words

malice
malicious
maliciously
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Cite this Entry

“Malicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malicious. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on malicious

Nglish: Translation of malicious for Spanish Speakers

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