as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
the novel grossly oversimplified the conflict as a struggle between relentlessly malevolent villains on one side and faultless saints on the other
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Recent Examples of malevolent
Federal money controlled by a malevolent president who could and already has done California real harm may be all that is standing between our state and converging troubles that seem more likely by the day.
—
Tom Philp, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2025
Girls trying to learn to negotiate the world, repressive institutions in cavernous spaces and obscurely malevolent authority figures, all suffused in an atmosphere of menace, are her recurring motifs.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
In the movie, this theme is played out as Jimmy’s spirit grows more and more malevolent, showing that disrupting the natural order of life and death isn’t just a faux pas in the realm of witchcraft but a dangerous road that can never truly lead to happiness or closure.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 19 Oct. 2024
The Death Star, the very target of Rogue One’s rebel plot, has been destroyed; the Empire — namely Darth Vader and his malevolent master, the Emperor — is on the hunt for rebels.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malevolent
Tom Philp, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2025
Girls trying to learn to negotiate the world, repressive institutions in cavernous spaces and obscurely malevolent authority figures, all suffused in an atmosphere of menace, are her recurring motifs.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
In the movie, this theme is played out as Jimmy’s spirit grows more and more malevolent, showing that disrupting the natural order of life and death isn’t just a faux pas in the realm of witchcraft but a dangerous road that can never truly lead to happiness or closure.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 19 Oct. 2024
The Death Star, the very target of Rogue One’s rebel plot, has been destroyed; the Empire — namely Darth Vader and his malevolent master, the Emperor — is on the hunt for rebels.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malevolent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malevolent
Adjective
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Fraudsters are increasingly using generative AI to write convincing phishing emails, improve deepfakes, and draft new forms of malicious code — making scams harder to detect.—
Sam Sabin,
Axios,
11 Mar. 2025
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious apps is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Contrary to what many people believe, pit bulls don't naturally have a bad temperament, are not inherently vicious, and are not more dangerous than other dogs.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
12 Mar. 2025
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At age 55, the director of the vicious South Korean social satire Parasite specializes in adolescent appeal.—
Armond White,
National Review,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Michael, in a filmed conversation with Grace, claimed that his ex-wife had manipulated him and was cruel to Natalia.—
Fortesa Latifi,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2025
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In Season 2, a cruel winter brings new challenges and unfinished business to Jacob (Harrison Ford) and Cara (Helen Mirren) back at Dutton ranch.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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That a little rectangle of cardboard and paper and ink is no match for all the hateful rhetoric about books somehow hurting children.—
Sarah Hoffman and Ian Hoffman,
TIME,
10 Mar. 2025
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The booing at the mention of Huizenga’s name was so hateful that an embarrassed Marino had to beg it to stop.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malevolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malevolent. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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