adjective
malicious
muh-LISH-us/məˈlɪʃəs/
Intended to harm or cause trouble.
Pouring salt onto the rival's seedling is a malicious act.
Etymology
The pieces make ill will a defining quality of someone or something. Malicious describes hostility expressed as an intention to hurt or cause trouble, rather than harm that merely happens by accident.
In context
Malicious insiders intentionally harm the organization, often through data theft or system sabotage.
More examples
- His malicious comments are meant to hurt her feelings.
- The broken window is the result of a malicious prank.
- She makes an honest mistake, not a malicious attempt to mislead us.
Forms
malicious
maliciously adverb — With the intention of causing harm.
maliciousness noun — The intention or desire to cause harm.
Similar words
- spiteful
- Emphasizes a desire to hurt someone out of resentment.
- malevolent
- Describes deep ill will, often as a lasting attitude.