malicious

[ muh-lish-uh s ]

/ məˈlɪʃ əs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR malicious ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

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

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

Nearby words

malibu board, malic, malic acid, malice, malice aforethought, malicious, malicious mischief, maliciously, malign, malignancy, malignant

Origin of malicious

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

Related forms

ma·li·cious·ly, adverbma·li·cious·ness, nounnon·ma·li·cious, adjectivenon·ma·li·cious·ly, adverb

non·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

British Dictionary definitions for maliciousness

malicious

/ (məˈlɪʃəs) /

adjective

characterized by malice

motivated by wrongful, vicious, or mischievous purposes

Derived Forms

maliciously, 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