malice
Americannoun
-
desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another, either because of a hostile impulse or out of deep-seated meanness.
the malice and spite of a lifelong enemy.
- Synonyms:
- rancor, bitterness, hatred, hate, venom, malevolence, enmity, animosity, spitefulness, spite, ill will
- Antonyms:
- goodwill, benevolence
-
Law. evil intent on the part of a person who commits a wrongful act injurious to others.
noun
-
the desire to do harm or mischief
-
evil intent
-
law the state of mind with which an act is committed and from which the intent to do wrong may be inferred See also malice aforethought
Synonym Usage
See grudge.
Etymology
Origin of malice
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin malitia; equivalent to mal- + -ice
Explanation
Malice is the intention to cause harm. If someone feels malice toward you, look out! They've got bad intentions. Just like the Spanish mal, this is a word for badness or evil. Malice isn't just any evil, though: it's evil done intentionally by someone seeking to do harm. People feel malice for people they hate. Malice is even stronger than spite. Out of all the emotions and thoughts you can have, malice is one of the most dangerous. Just about every villain in every movie and TV show is full of malice.
Vocabulary lists containing malice
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Take the Bad with the Good: Bene and Mal
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The Tragedy of Macbeth
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The punitive phase of the civil trial began Thursday, after jurors determined that Grossman had acted with malice and oppression and Erickson with malice, oppression or fraud.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
Jurors decided that Grossman also acted with malice and oppression and Erickson acted with malice, oppression, or fraud.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
"Crucially, the New York Times would face a far more stringent burden of proof in Israel than under the US standard, as a mere lack of malice is insufficient to avoid liability," he said.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
The city, they concluded, had misjudged the situation but had not pursued Gamble from a place of malice.
From Slate • May 4, 2026
Slowly, slowly he began to crawl aside; but the Black Captain, in doubt and malice intent upon the woman before him, heeded him no more than a worm in the mud.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
