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 federal advisory said the malicious cyber actors, or MCAs, targeted specific brands of control systems used by municipal water utilities, though the FBI and the EPA urged operators of all systems to take precautions. — Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 31 July 2026 Still following prompts to breach the first fictional company, the model built and published a malicious package with the same name. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026 Police arrested Elijah and charged him with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and discharge of a firearm inside of a dwelling. — Adam Kilgore, New York Times, 30 July 2026 Elijah was arrested on charges of malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling, the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 July 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
  • The drastic measures Alice takes to end this vicious cycle naturally bring her closer to Catherine’s school of violent retribution.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 27 July 2026
  • Despite the powerful action and vicious fight scenes the franchise is known for, Laufey is still shaping up as a bit of a love story.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • Gomez has endured a lengthy list of cruel setbacks during his 11-year Liverpool career and faces a wait to learn the extent of his latest injury.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 26 July 2026
  • Obsessed with recovering her fortune, Magdalen’s uses of disguise and performance become manipulative, treacherous, and even cruel.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • Look the steady coarsening of American civic and political culture and the ways in which the once-outrageous—the bilious, hateful rhetoric and the creeping authoritarianism—have become almost ordinary.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
  • Although Fang was charged in a single incident, authorities allege the defendant was responsible for a string of hateful messages found across the Northern California campus.
    — Seamus Bozeman, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of hateful
Adjective
  • Katherine MacGregor Katherine MacGregor played nasty gossip Harriet Oleson on the show.
    — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 26 July 2026
  • And with peak travel season underway, millions of people may have to contend with this disorienting condition, which can cause sleep disturbances, daytime tiredness, headaches and nasty gastrointestinal symptoms.
    — Laura Ungar, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 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
  • 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
  • That’s the day Prigge was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, an aggressive form of cancer.
    — Amy Wenk, AJC.com, 22 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 3 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on malicious

Nglish: Translation of malicious for Spanish Speakers

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