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

Ms Hand announced in August her intention to sue McGregor and two other people for damages, alleging they engaged in malicious abuse of court processes.

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It was, they suggested, an attempt to extort a ransom from the company by infecting its networks with malicious software.

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The inquest heard the bite was "not malicious".

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They would steal data or install malicious software and hold my employer to ransom and I would secretly get a cut.

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This fictional scene led to real consequences over the weekend, with many Chinese social media users taking it to be a malicious mischaracterisation of China as belligerent.

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Related Words

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