malice

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Intention to harm or deprive in an illegal or immoral way. Desire to take pleasure in another's misfortune.

   Your voice positively drips malice.

2. 2
   noun

   An intention to do injury to another party, which in many jurisdictions is a distinguishing factor between the crimes of murder and manslaughter.

   The question that would have been before the jury was whether Fox committed “actual malice” in airing the claims. That required Dominion to show whether key decision makers were aware the claims were false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.

3. 3
   verb

   To intend to cause harm; to bear malice.

   Thou blinded God (quod I) forgive me this offence, / Unwittingly I went about, to malice thy pretence.

4. 4
   noun

   the quality of threatening evil

5. 5
   noun

   feeling a need to see others suffer

Etymology

From Middle English malice, borrowed from Old French malice, from Latin malitia (“badness, bad quality, ill-will, spite”), from malus (“bad”).