maliciousness

American  

[muh-lish-uhs-nis] / məˈlɪʃ əs nɪs /

noun

1. the fact or quality of being spiteful or intentionally harmful.

   When these students present their poems to their peers, the response may include some kidding around, but never any maliciousness.

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Other Word Forms

• nonmaliciousness
  noun
• semimaliciousness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of maliciousness

malicious + -ness ( def. )

Explanation

Maliciousness is the trait of wanting to harm someone. A bully's maliciousness may cause him to push smaller kids off the swings and laugh. Not nice! Thankfully, true maliciousness is rare — the bad guy in a book or movie is more likely to be motivated by maliciousness than people you meet in real life. Still, if someone acts in a hateful or vindictive way, appearing to enjoy watching others suffer pain or humiliation, that's maliciousness. We can trace this word back to the Latin malitiosus, "wicked," from the root malus, "bad."

Example Sentences

Don Alvaro, who found in his Sister a Maliciousness worthy of his trust, did not conceal his Fury from her.

From The Works of Aphra Behn Volume V by Summers, Montague