malicious

[muh-lish-uh s]

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adjective

full of, characterized by, or showing malice; intentionally harmful; spiteful: malicious gossip.

Law. vicious, wanton, or mischievous in motivation or purpose.

Origin of malicious

1175–1225; Middle English malicius < Old French < Latin malitiōsus. See malice, -ous

Related formsma·li·cious·ly, adverbma·li·cious·ness, nounnon·ma·li·cious, adjectivenon·ma·li·cious·ly, adverbnon·ma·li·cious·ness, nounsem·i·ma·li·cious, adjectivesem·i·ma·li·cious·ly, adverbsem·i·ma·li·cious·ness, nounun·ma·li·cious, adjectiveun·ma·li·cious·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

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

malicious

adjective

characterized by malice

motivated by wrongful, vicious, or mischievous purposes

Derived Formsmaliciously, adverbmaliciousness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for maliciously

adv.

late 14c., from malicious + -ly (2).

malicious

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."