vicious

[vish-uhs]

adjective

1. spiteful; malicious.

   vicious gossip;

   a vicious attack.

   Synonyms: malevolent

2. savage; ferocious.

   They all feared his vicious temper.

3. (of an animal) having bad habits or a cruel or fierce disposition.

   a vicious bull.

4. unpleasantly severe.

   a vicious headache.

5. addicted to or characterized by vice; grossly immoral; depraved; profligate.

   a vicious life.

   Synonyms: sinful, iniquitous, corrupt, abandoned
   Antonyms: moral

6. given or readily disposed to evil.

   a vicious criminal.

7. reprehensible; blameworthy; wrong.

   a vicious deception.

8. characterized or marred by faults or defects; faulty; unsound.

   vicious reasoning.

9. Archaic.,  morbid, foul, or noxious.

vicious

/ ˈvɪʃəs /

adjective

1. wicked or cruel; villainous

   a vicious thug

2. characterized by violence or ferocity

   a vicious blow

3. informal,  unpleasantly severe; harsh

   a vicious wind

4. characterized by malice

   vicious lies

5. (esp of dogs, horses, etc) ferocious or hostile; dangerous

6. characterized by or leading to vice

7. invalidated by defects; unsound

   a vicious inference

8. obsolete,  noxious or morbid

   a vicious exhalation

Other Word Forms

• viciously adverb
• viciousness noun
• unvicious adjective
• unviciously adverb
• unviciousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of vicious¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English or directly from Anglo-French, from Latin vitiōsus, equivalent to viti(um) “fault, defect, vice” ( vice ¹ ) + -ōsus -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of vicious¹

C14: from Old French vicieus, from Latin vitiōsus full of faults, from vitium a defect

Example Sentences

Sudan has been ravaged by conflict since 2023, after top commanders of the RSF and Sudanese army fell out and a vicious power struggle ensued.

Read more on BBC

Some have suggested that electing him mayor will make antisemitic bigotry — already far too widespread in America — much worse, and is likely to fuel a vicious, jingoistic right-wing backlash.

Read more on Salon

Then there’s the vicious social-media harassment of innocent athletes being targeted by gamblers—an epidemic that only continues to explode with the betting app boom.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He lived in south London during the some of the vicious and violent religious conflicts of the 16th Century, making his music against this troubled background.

Read more on BBC

For the next several hours, Nick and Honey serve as unwitting pawns in the older couple’s clever, but vicious, mind games.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• atrocious 
• barbarous 
• cruel 
• dangerous 
• depraved 
• diabolical 
• ferocious 
• heinous 
• infamous 
• monstrous 
• nefarious 
• perverse 
• savage 
• vile 
• violent 
• wicked