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View synonyms for malice

malice

[ mal-is ]

noun

  1. desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another, either because of a hostile impulse or out of deep-seated meanness:

    the malice and spite of a lifelong enemy.

    Synonyms: bitterness, spitefulness, rancor, hatred, hate, venom, malevolence, enmity, animosity, spite, ill will

    Antonyms: goodwill, benevolence

  2. Law. evil intent on the part of a person who commits a wrongful act injurious to others.


malice

/ ˈmælɪs /

noun

  1. the desire to do harm or mischief
  2. evil intent
  3. law the state of mind with which an act is committed and from which the intent to do wrong may be inferred See also malice aforethought


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Word History and Origins

Origin of malice1

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin malitia; equivalent to mal- + -ice

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Word History and Origins

Origin of malice1

C13: via Old French from Latin malitia, from malus evil

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Synonym Study

See grudge.

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Example Sentences

To label the law in Florida or the similar one in Georgia using that term is to be displaying bias, we are told, to be claiming — with purported malice — that a full glass is a half-empty one.

She never acts out of malice — Ramona is sometimes angry but never cruel — but rather out of sheer curiosity and enthusiasm for life.

From Vox

They meant no malice, and I am still friends with these people.

From Time

This does not happen with malice, but rather through inattentiveness to Campaigns, especially at the granular level of the ad units and keywords.

All my Sunday School teachers in that little church, they didn’t have any malice, they were well-intended people teaching what they believed.

It was a review of Lady Macbeth, and it dripped with malice.

There may be a number of reasons for such a move beyond pure malice.

Polish them until they gleam with malice, wicked glee, and non-registry gifts.

Why does Rivers' joke have the sting of deliberate shock without any of the other joke's malice?

But a small, important minority of these social-media clues portend real pain, struggle, even malice and disaster.

O wicked presumption, whence camest thou to cover the earth with thy malice, and deceitfulness?

His avarice was disgusting beyond words, and with avarice went a tendency to underhand dealing, harshness, and malice.

He could see the unconcealed delight, and the malice that had always been, but which before he had been able to ignore.

The term malice means something more than "the intentional doing of a wrongful act to the injury of another without legal excuse."

But this way of dealing with the message was far too mild and moderate to satisfy the implacable malice of Howe.

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malic acidmalice aforethought