malice implies a deep-seated often unexplainable desire to see another suffer.
felt no malice toward their former enemies
malevolence suggests a bitter persistent hatred that is likely to be expressed in malicious conduct.
a look of dark malevolence
ill will implies a feeling of antipathy of limited duration.
ill will provoked by a careless remark
spite implies petty feelings of envy and resentment that are often expressed in small harassments.
petty insults inspired by spite
malignity implies deep passion and relentlessness.
a life consumed by motiveless malignity
spleen suggests the wrathful release of latent spite or persistent malice.
venting his spleen against politicians
grudge implies a harbored feeling of resentment or ill will that seeks satisfaction.
never one to harbor a grudge
Examples of ill will in a Sentence
We bear no ill will toward each other.
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In what Bien characterized as a bid to avoid ill will, all prison mental health workers will benefit from the new expenditures, with current employees and new hires each receiving one-time $10,000 bonuses.—Don Thompson, Sacbee.com, 30 May 2025 Buehler was seen yelling at Lindor during the NLCS as a member of the Dodgers, but Lindor insists there is no ill will.—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 21 May 2025 That Cassie didn’t have enough ill will toward him to be a victim.—Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 16 May 2025 Cynthia Jones, president of the North Carolina chapter of the Community Associations Institute, said most HOA board members are hard-working volunteers who bear no ill will toward their neighbors.—Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ill will
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