## Meanings
1. Violent and dangerous; likely to attack or hurt someone.
2. Cruel and full of hatred; intended to hurt someone.
3. Very severe or unpleasant.

## Examples
- A vicious dog chased the children down the street.
- She faced a vicious attack from her critics online.
- A vicious storm tore the roof off the house.

## Synonyms
- scathy

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: vicious
- Root: vitiōsus

## Etymology
PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English vicious, from Anglo-Norman vicious, (modern French vicieux), from Latin vitiōsus, from vitium (“fault, vice”). Equivalent to vice + -ous.

## AI Etymology
Vicious is from Middle English vicious, from Anglo-Norman vicious, (modern French vicieux), from Latin vitiōsus, from vitium (“fault, vice”). Equivalent to vice + -ous. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named base and affix. In present-day use, it can mean violent and dangerous; likely to attack or hurt someone, or cruel and full of hatred; intended to hurt someone.

## Topics
- Describing People
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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vicious

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