as in hatefully
in a mean or spiteful manner
the administrator viciously denied me the time off that I needed to attend my dear aunt's funeral
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Recent Examples of viciously
For many, qualifying will represent the fruition of a lifelong, viciously competitive goal.
—
NBC news, 20 Jan. 2026
Nickerson, 13, succumbed to his injuries two days after he was viciously attacked by two Cane Corsos and a Rottweiler, according to CBC, Global News and The Globe and Mail.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 11 Jan. 2026
The 89-minute running time doesn’t allow much exposition, and in fact the opening sequence shows a veterinarian coming to treat a sickly Ben before having his face viciously torn off.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
Adusei said her brother barely had time to unwind and unpack from his overseas trip before he was viciously attacked.
—Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Highways, viaducts, giant interchanges, and a major Metro junction viciously mutilated São Paulo’s downtown in the 1960s and ’70s, demoting it from a popular residential area to a commercial transfer hub, overcrowded and polluted by day but forlorn by night.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Gil – my soulmate – lost his fight with a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer.
—Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Arab autocrats, Iran’s mullahs, and Putin cracked down viciously.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
The man who viciously murdered his wife, terrorized his own children and lied to everyone, was seeking sympathy from his side of the family.
—Betsy Shuller, CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025
NBC news, 20 Jan. 2026
Nickerson, 13, succumbed to his injuries two days after he was viciously attacked by two Cane Corsos and a Rottweiler, according to CBC, Global News and The Globe and Mail.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 11 Jan. 2026
The 89-minute running time doesn’t allow much exposition, and in fact the opening sequence shows a veterinarian coming to treat a sickly Ben before having his face viciously torn off.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
Adusei said her brother barely had time to unwind and unpack from his overseas trip before he was viciously attacked.
—Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Highways, viaducts, giant interchanges, and a major Metro junction viciously mutilated São Paulo’s downtown in the 1960s and ’70s, demoting it from a popular residential area to a commercial transfer hub, overcrowded and polluted by day but forlorn by night.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Gil – my soulmate – lost his fight with a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer.
—Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Arab autocrats, Iran’s mullahs, and Putin cracked down viciously.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
The man who viciously murdered his wife, terrorized his own children and lied to everyone, was seeking sympathy from his side of the family.
—Betsy Shuller, CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for viciously
Adverb
-
The charge against the hunter, Shane Huffman, was dismissed due to insufficient evidence, and Huffman is now claiming in the lawsuit that he was falsely arrested and maliciously prosecuted.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Stephen Pittman, 19, was charged in federal court with maliciously damaging or destroying a building by fire or explosive in connection with the weekend arson at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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In other words, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.—
Derek Robertson,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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Another cold front bringing bitterly cold temperatures is expected to hit the Dallas-Fort Worth area this weekend, and temperatures could plunge into the teens Saturday morning with a potential for wind chill in the single-digits, according to Prater.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Jan. 2026
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After a winter storm covered the commonwealth in snow and ice, much of Kentucky will face bitterly cold temperatures throughout the week, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service in Louisville.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
27 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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That's the general vibe of this wickedly entertaining horror indie, which centers on a cursed episode of a late-night talk show from 1977.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Dec. 2025
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Braithwaite has a way of making the Falodun family’s superstition seem both wickedly funny and haunting.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
10 Dec. 2025
Adverb
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Its rise is partly due to its strong, virulently nativist campaign against immigrants, calling for mass deportation.—
Trudy Rubin,
Mercury News,
20 Dec. 2025
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This is a high watermark for the European far right, a once fringe movement whose virulently anti-immigration, anti-Islam and culture-war politics were shunned by the mainstream just a decade ago.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
13 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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Images of Labubus beamed malevolently from their packaging, as if gloating in their unreachability.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Viciously.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/viciously. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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