Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

malicious

/məˈlɪʃəs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.67 in modern English

Syllables: ma-li-cious
IPA: /məˈlɪʃəs/

13

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Intending to do harm; characterized by spite and malice.

Example Sentences

"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.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: malicious, malicios, malitiōsus

Inflected Forms

more malicious (comparative) most malicious (superlative) malitious (alternative)

Derived Forms

maliciously maliciousness malvertisement malvertising malware nonmalicious unmalicious

Phrases

malicious compliance malicious mischief malicious prosecution

Synonyms

evil maleficent malevolent abandoned arrant bad bad apple bad seed baleful scurrilous baneful base

Homonyms

militias

Rhymes With

delicious suspicious ambitious vicious fictitious nutritious superstitious auspicious pernicious capricious judicious seditious

Questions

How do you pronounce malicious?: The recorded pronunciation is /məˈlɪʃəs/.
What does malicious mean?: Intending to do harm; characterized by spite and malice.
Where does malicious come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce malicious

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “malicious”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/məˈlɪʃəs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “malicious”.
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