malicious

[muh-lish-uhs]

adjective

1. full of, characterized by, or showing malice; intentionally harmful; spiteful.

   malicious gossip.

2. Law.,  vicious, wanton, or mischievous in motivation or purpose.

malicious

/ məˈlɪʃəs /

adjective

1. characterized by malice

2. motivated by wrongful, vicious, or mischievous purposes

Other Word Forms

• maliciously adverb
• maliciousness noun
• nonmalicious adjective
• nonmaliciously adverb
• semimalicious adjective
• semimaliciously adverb
• unmalicious adjective
• unmaliciously adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of malicious¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English malicius, from Old French, from Latin malitiōsus; malice, -ous

Example Sentences

The department says all members of the team working on One Login use "corporately managed" devices which are monitored by a security team to detect any malicious activity.

Read more on BBC

Tom Hayes launched a legal claim for malicious prosecution against the Swiss banking giant, claiming he was the bank's "hand-picked scapegoat" in one of the biggest scandals of the 2008 financial crisis.

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“Apartheid” is an empty, malicious slogan, not a reality in Israel.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

What if it navigated to a malicious website while I wasn’t looking?

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Four years after the “Rust” movie shooting, New Mexico officials have moved Alec Baldwin’s lawsuit alleging malicious prosecution to federal court.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• malevolent 
• malignant 
• mischievous 
• nasty 
• pernicious 
• petty 
• spiteful 
• vengeful 
• venomous 
• vicious 
• virulent 
• wicked