malicious
adjectiveattested in dialogue
- //məˈlɪʃəs//
Intending to do harm; characterized by spite and malice.
adjective
- 1
Intending to do harm; characterized by spite and malice.
He was sent off for a malicious tackle on Jones.
And novv, if you are a Malitious Reader, I expect you ſhould return upon me, that I affect to be thought more Impartial than I am.
They gathered soberly in the farthest recess of the ward and gossiped about him in malicious, offended undertones, rebelling against his presence as a ghastly imposition and resenting him malevolently for the nauseating truth of which he was bright reminder.
Etymology
From Middle English malicious, from Old French malicios, from Latin malitiōsus, from malitia (“malice”), from malus (“bad”). Displaced native Middle English ivelwilled and ivelwilly (“malicious”), related to Old English yfelwillende (literally “evil-willing”). By surface analysis, malice + -ious.
Forms
- comparative
- more malicious
- superlative
- most malicious
malicious · Intending to do harm; characterized by spite and malice.
malignant · Harmful, malevolent, injurious.malik · A tribal chieftain in certain areas of Afghanistan and…Malik · A male given name from Arabic.