malicious

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Intending to harm or hurt others; full of spite.

   She spread malicious rumours about her coworker.

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.

Topics