ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary Builder›Words›M›malicious
ISEE/SSATmedium
malicious
intending to do harm or cause distress to others
Synonyms
- spiteful
- vindictive
- malevolent
Antonyms
- kind
- benevolent
- friendly
malicious in a sentence
Someone spread malicious rumors about the new manager before she even started.
The hacker's malicious code was designed to quietly erase every file on the school's shared server.
Where it comes from
From Latin malus 'bad' via malitia 'badness'
Memory hook
MAL (bad) + ICIOUS — full of bad intent.
Word parts
- mal — bad, evil
malicious: mal (bad) + -icious (full of)
Read it in context
- The Long Descent Science