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
Vincent Baglio, 31, of Arlington, was arrested on charges of malicious wounding, according to the Arlington County Police Department.
—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
2 July 2026
The company said those measures were in place because of bad actors who use powerful AI systems for malicious cyber- and biology purposes.
—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
1 July 2026
There is so much evil and suffering in the world, so much conniving and malicious intent, and the self is, at least, a familiar foe.
—
Meghan O’Gieblyn,
Harpers Magazine,
30 June 2026
Associate Judge Andi Saputra, who offered the sole dissenting opinion in the decision and called for acquittal, said the case offered no proof of malicious intent, wrongdoing or any indication of a conflict of interest.
—
Chandra Asmara,
Fortune,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for malicious
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
2 July 2026
The company said those measures were in place because of bad actors who use powerful AI systems for malicious cyber- and biology purposes.
—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
1 July 2026
There is so much evil and suffering in the world, so much conniving and malicious intent, and the self is, at least, a familiar foe.
—
Meghan O’Gieblyn,
Harpers Magazine,
30 June 2026
Associate Judge Andi Saputra, who offered the sole dissenting opinion in the decision and called for acquittal, said the case offered no proof of malicious intent, wrongdoing or any indication of a conflict of interest.
—
Chandra Asmara,
Fortune,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for malicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malicious
Adjective
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This vicious machine chewed him up and spit him out in predictable fashion.
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The mood changed a bit when Tab Ramos took a vicious elbow to the side of his head and fractured his skull.
Adjective
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The heat has become so unbearable in Japan that weather officials in April announced a new term for days when maximum temperatures exceed 104 degrees — kokushobi, meaning harsh or cruel heat, according to the Japan Times.
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For thousands of Venezuelans, however, the lack of definitive answers has become one of the tragedy’s cruelest consequences.
Adjective
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Social media sites used for hateful comments Pumphrey made threatening posts on the social media platform YouTube and other social media sites, according to the guilty plea.
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Political podcasters such as Tucker Carlson peddle conspiracies and lies, and there seems to be little consequence for hateful rhetoric.
Adjective
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Including some rather nasty, big corpo bullies who enlist specialist teams to hunt down clues, and other players, too.
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Betty Kovacs, the eldest daughter of comedian Ernie Kovacs who with her sister Kippie and stepmother, actress-singer Edie Adams, was at the center of a nasty custody battle that kept Hollywood riveted in 1962, has died.
Adjective
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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.
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Or was the hole man-made with a malevolent intent, perhaps plundering a grave for artifacts?
Adjective
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Everyone has an acid tongue and brims with spiteful resentment.
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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.
Adjective
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Various types of cancer, in which malignant tumors invade surrounding tissues, contributed to between 13,000 and 20,000 deaths annually in this time frame.
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Asymptomatic lesions discovered incidentally in populations could also be monitored en masse to generate a robust database that would help researchers learn which types of lesions are more (or less) likely to turn malignant.
Cite this Entry
“Malicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malicious. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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