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Synonyms

malicious

American  
[muh-lish-uhs] / məˈlɪʃ əs /

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 British  
/ məˈlɪʃəs /

adjective

  1. characterized by malice

  2. motivated by wrongful, vicious, or mischievous purposes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of malicious

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

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.