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as in unlawful
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable a truly vicious person detested by almost everyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective vicious differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of vicious are corrupt, degenerate, iniquitous, nefarious, and villainous. While all these words mean "highly reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct," vicious may directly oppose virtuous in implying moral depravity, or may connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive violence.

a vicious gangster

Where would corrupt be a reasonable alternative to vicious?

The synonyms corrupt and vicious are sometimes interchangeable, but corrupt stresses a loss of moral integrity or probity causing betrayal of principle or sworn obligations.

city hall was rife with corrupt politicians

In what contexts can degenerate take the place of vicious?

The words degenerate and vicious can be used in similar contexts, but degenerate suggests having sunk to an especially vicious or enervated condition.

a degenerate regime propped up by foreign powers

When could iniquitous be used to replace vicious?

While in some cases nearly identical to vicious, iniquitous implies absence of all signs of justice or fairness.

an iniquitous system of taxation

When can nefarious be used instead of vicious?

In some situations, the words nefarious and vicious are roughly equivalent. However, nefarious suggests flagrant breaching of time-honored laws and traditions of conduct.

the nefarious rackets of organized crime

When is it sensible to use villainous instead of vicious?

Although the words villainous and vicious have much in common, villainous applies to any evil, depraved, or vile conduct or characteristic.

a villainous assault

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 vicious The Republican tax bill could push food assistance in Colorado into a vicious cycle of funding cuts, increasing mistakes in determining eligibility and further funding cuts to punish those mistakes, Gov. Jared Polis warned in a letter to congressional leaders Friday. Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 16 June 2025 Plaschke delivers a vicious uppercut to his opponent. Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2025 From scene to scene, Revival might shift between a crime thriller about Dana taking on a vicious family of drug dealers, to a YA romance about Em falling in love with Rhodey, to a horror show about fighting off the deadly undead. Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2025 And then there's a vicious cycle that could emerge if JetZero does succeed in dramatically cutting costs. Calif. senior Correspondent, Time, 12 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for vicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicious
Adjective
  • There were times when the twin drama got too intense.
    Maris Kreizman, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2025
  • Drilling defense: Every day at practice, the Broncos execute intense, one-on-one, full-court defensive slide drills.
    Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • Each of the disciples have their own secrets to bear, life taking them on some brutal pathways, the piece leaning into powerful introspection.
    David John Chávez, Mercury News, 28 June 2025
  • Just over a decade had passed since the end of the brutal twelve-year-long conflict, and street protests often ended in violence.
    Graciela Mochkofsky, New Yorker, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • Jorge Garibay said in a statement Friday, adding that the efforts were aimed at reducing fire risk and unlawful activity throughout the city.
    Jason Green, Mercury News, 28 June 2025
  • The court cited the First Amendment (freedom of speech), the Fourth Amendment (protection against unlawful search and seizure), and the Fourteenth Amendment (due process and equal protection).
    Ashley Fredde, Idaho Statesman, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.
    Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 27 Dec. 2022
  • The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
  • The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2025
  • Nor are alligators the consistently malicious snappers of Kristi Noem’s dreams.
    Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Oftentimes, enrolling in an intensive language program qualifies someone for a student visa, depending on the requirements of that country (more on that later).
    Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 27 June 2025
  • Designed to withstand intensive training, Lacoste’s abrasion-resistant piqué fabric is made with Ultra Dry moisture-wicking technology for more breathable wear.
    Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • What is a totalitarian leader other than an individualist taking that creed to its cruel conclusions, erasing the uniqueness of every other person into mere characters in a drama?
    Ed Simon June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
  • This realization reconfigures the entire book, recasting their ongoing dialogue and seemingly cordial relations as an interstellar jail—and the novel itself into an extended, especially cruel prison sentence.
    Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • Unfortunately, those lofty first-act ambitions give way to something much more formulaic, as Buzz joins forces with the usual ragtag bunch of misfits to battle the evil Emperor Zurg.
    Richard Edwards, Space.com, 20 June 2025
  • In Twin Peaks, Deputy Chief Hawk and Sheriff Frank Truman—filling in for ailing brother Frank—work on following a lead phoned in by an ailing Log Lady, while Richard Horne, son of Audrey Horne and Cooper’s evil double, spiraling into depravity and addiction, kills a child in a hit-and-run.
    Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 20 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Vicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicious. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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