malicious
adjective
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Malicious, Malevolent, and Malice
Malicious and malevolent are close in meaning, since both refer to ill will that desires to see someone else suffer. But while malevolent suggests deep and lasting dislike, malicious usually means petty and spiteful. Malicious gossipers are often simply envious of a neighbor's good fortune. Vandals may take malicious pleasure in destroying and defacing property but usually don't truly hate the owners. Malice is an important legal concept, which has to be proved in order to convict someone of certain crimes such as first-degree murder.
Synonyms
Examples of malicious in a Sentence
Joyce Carol Oates, New York Times Book Review, 5 Nov. 2000
A cunning and malicious crook who suckered him without half trying.
—Philip Roth, American Pastoral, 1997
Frank sensed her discomfort and took a certain malicious pleasure in it, enacting all the while his perfect innocence.
—John Updike, The Afterlife, 1994
a malicious distortion of the truth
the neighborhood chatterbox has again been spreading malicious gossip
Michael Kan, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
Between the lines: Many cybersecurity tools scan endpoints for signs of malicious intruders trying to get in.
—Sam Sabin, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024
While there have been no major reports of any malicious cyberactivity affecting election offices, foreign actors have been active in using fake social media profiles and websites to drum up partisan vitriol and disinformation.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024
Clicking the links could add malicious software to your device and allow the scammer to track your online activity.
—Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for malicious 
Dictionary Entries Near malicious
Cite this Entry
“Malicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malicious. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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malicious
adjective
Legal Definition
malicious
adjective
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