Malicious
/məˈlɪʃəs/
Definitions
Showing a desire to do evil to others; spiteful.
/məˈlɪʃəs/
Characterized by malice; intending or intended to do harm or cause suffering.
He took malicious pleasure in spreading the gossip.
💡 Simply: Imagine someone is being really, really mean on purpose, like they want to hurt someone's feelings or make them fail. That's being malicious. They're not just accidentally rude; they *want* to cause trouble.
👶 For kids: When someone is malicious, it means they want to hurt someone else's feelings or make them feel bad on purpose.
More Examples
Her actions were clearly motivated by malicious intent.
The malicious virus corrupted all the files on his computer.
How It's Used
"The defendant was found guilty of malicious intent."
"The malicious rumor spread quickly through the office."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
malicious prosecution
The wrongful institution of legal proceedings for an improper purpose, with malice.
"The lawsuit was dismissed due to lack of evidence, leading to a claim of malicious prosecution against the original plaintiff."
malicious damage
Criminal damage to property with intent to cause harm or loss.
"The police are investigating the incident of malicious damage to the community center."
From Middle English *malicious*, from Old French *malicius* (French *malicieux*), from Latin *malitiōsus* ('full of malice, spiteful'), from *malitia* ('malice'), from *malus* ('bad').
The word has been used in legal and moral contexts since the Middle Ages, often referring to acts committed with evil intent.
Memory tip
Think of a *malicious* witch plotting to cast a nasty spell.
Word Origin
"bad"