MALICIOUS Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

malicious

adjective

mə-ˈli-shəs

Definition of malicious

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

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 Days later, Britain’s AI Security Institute said that Anthropic’s most advanced AI model had used fake identities to cover its tracks and attempt to plant malicious code during testing. — Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026 Even highly mature enterprise SOCs frequently remain dependent on humans assembling information from multiple systems, determining whether something is malicious and deciding what should happen next. — Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 That leaves a short window during which malicious activity can contaminate the prediction machinery again. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026 Once the device is infected, the malware downloads additional packages designed to join the device to a botnet used for malicious proxy services and ad fraud. — Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for malicious

Recent Examples of Synonyms for malicious

Adjective

These shortages increase costs and a vicious cycle for folks who need a rung.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
Nobody comes off well; if anything, the snooty German Jews almost seem more vicious than the right-wing plotters, who are presented as mercenary and power-hungry rather than ideological.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of vicious

Adjective

Like her, Americans are also so tired of being screwed by an administration that’s not only grossly incompetent and cruel but corrupt as well.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
Rather than heroic, these costly and horribly uncertain stunts come across callous and cruel.

— Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of cruel

Adjective

Mercury guard Kahleah Copper, Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams and Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud have also spoken about receiving hateful messages.

— Mike Wilson, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Yiannopoulos’ acerbic and at times hateful speech attracted the fury of students who argued his views should not be platformed.

— Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of hateful

Adjective

Those tempers were not helped by the nasty collision between Guehi and Veiga just before the break, as the Englishman clattered into the midfielder in attempt to head the ball away.

— Thom Harris, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
His nasty spirit comes unstuck from the grave when Antonia, the brown-haired Millennial witch, works a wonky raise-the-dead spell directed at her late great aunt.

— Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of nasty

Adjective

Erika looks on with the malevolent bemusement of a college cheerleader coming back to homecoming to judge her old high school squad.

— Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
In other cases Hoodoo was used to counter the threat of curses, as in the practice of suspending bottles from a tree to trap any malevolent spirits or witches traveling in spirit form.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of malevolent

Adjective

Alcohol played a major role in deaths from malignant tumors in the head and neck, including lip, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx and cancer of the esophagus.

— Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Amabile revealed in July that he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor after receiving results from an MRI.

— Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of malignant

Browse Nearby Words

malice

malicious

maliciously

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“Malicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malicious. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of malicious

adjective

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