adjective

vicious

VISH-us/ˈvɪʃəs/

Extremely cruel, harmful, or morally bad.

The vicious vandal deliberately slashes the bicycle tire as its owner recoils.

An adult vandal deliberately slashes an empty bicycle tire while the bicycle's owner recoils in distress nearby; no injury to people, act clearly malicious, varied ordinary modern adults.

Etymology

Literally “full of faults,” vicious described defective or morally corrupt things and people. Its later uses for savage animals and spiteful people help explain the modern emphasis on cruelty, violence, and deliberate harm.

In context

Centrist Millennial18:00

a lot of the torture devices that were used and it it's hard to comprehend that human beings could have been so absolutely vicious and cruel

Britain's Dark Past: The Pillory and other Brutal Punishments

More examples

A vicious dog lunges at anyone near the fence.
The vicious storm destroys homes along the coast.
She spreads vicious rumors to ruin her coworker's reputation.

Forms

vicious · more vicious · most vicious

viciously adverb — In an extremely cruel or harmful way.

viciousness noun — The quality of being extremely cruel or harmful.

Similar words

cruel: Emphasizes causing suffering rather than general severity or damage.
savage: Emphasizes brutal violence rather than spite or moral corruption.
malicious: Emphasizes deliberate intent to harm rather than extreme brutality.