Word Origin
See more synonyms for malicious on Thesaurus.com full of, characterized by, or showing malice ; intentionally harmful; spiteful: malicious gossip. Law vicious, wanton, or mischievous in motivation or purpose. Show More
Origin of malicious 1175–1225; Middle English malicius <
Old French <
Latin malitiōsus. See
malice ,
-ous Related forms ma·li·cious·ly , adverb ma·li·cious·ness , noun non·ma·li·cious , adjective non·ma·li·cious·ly , adverb non·ma·li·cious·ness , noun sem·i·ma·li·cious , adjective sem·i·ma·li·cious·ly , adverb sem·i·ma·li·cious·ness , noun un·ma·li·cious , adjective un·ma·li·cious·ly , adverb Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words for maliciously wickedly ,
savagely ,
brutally ,
ferociously ,
maliciously ,
acerbically ,
acrimoniously ,
bitingly ,
caustically ,
sneeringly ,
immorally ,
wrongly ,
cruelly ,
ruthlessly ,
venomously ,
treacherously ,
unscrupulously ,
basely ,
crookedly ,
malevolently British Dictionary definitions for maliciously characterized by malice motivated by wrongful, vicious, or mischievous purposes Show More
Derived Forms maliciously , adverb maliciousness , noun Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for maliciously adj. early 13c., from Old French malicios "showing ill will, spiteful, wicked" (Modern French malicieux ), from Latin malitiosus "wicked, malicious," from malitia "badness, ill will, spite," from malus "bad" (see mal- ). In legal use (early 14c., Anglo-French), it means "characterized by malice prepense ."
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
