malignance

the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm in meting out the harsh sentence, the judge cited the exceptional malignance and ruthlessness with which the rape was committed Synonyms cattiness, despite, hatefulness, malevolence, maliciousness, malice, malignancy, malignity, meanness, nastiness, spite, spitefulness, spleen, venom, viciousnessRelated Words abusiveness, cruelty; abhorrence, abomination, execration, hate, hatred, loathing; animosity, antagonism, antipathy, bitterness, enmity, grudge, hostility, ill will, jaundice, mean-spiritedness, rancor, resentment; despicableness, invidiousness; vengefulness, vindictiveness; aversion, disgust, distaste, horror, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion; bitchery, bitchiness, contempt, disdain; jealousy, pique, resentment, scorn; bile, rancor, virulence, vitriolNear Antonyms devotion, love, passion; amiability, amicability, amity, civility, cordiality, friendliness, hospitality; adoration, ardor, infatuation, veneration, worship; affection, charity, kindliness, kindness; comity, empathy, friendship, goodwill, sympathy, understanding