as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
the novel grossly oversimplified the conflict as a struggle between relentlessly malevolent villains on one side and faultless saints on the other
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Recent Examples of malevolent
Some historians have concluded that the locals saw Mendaña’s men as a group of malevolent ghosts.
—
Pete McKenzie, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
Johnny Flynn on writing an original song for Emma and the Emma in his life
The actor will play Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy, one of the series' most malevolent characters.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 9 June 2025
What follows is a descent into paranoia and terror, as Rose becomes the next target of a malevolent force that feeds on trauma, passed from person to person in a deadly chain, always announced by a disturbing smile.
—Jane Lacroix, People.com, 15 May 2025
The actor doesn’t appear on camera but voices a character who seems innocent but turns out to have malevolent intentions.
—Abigail Lee, Variety, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for malevolent
Pete McKenzie, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
Johnny Flynn on writing an original song for Emma and the Emma in his life
The actor will play Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy, one of the series' most malevolent characters.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 9 June 2025
What follows is a descent into paranoia and terror, as Rose becomes the next target of a malevolent force that feeds on trauma, passed from person to person in a deadly chain, always announced by a disturbing smile.
—Jane Lacroix, People.com, 15 May 2025
The actor doesn’t appear on camera but voices a character who seems innocent but turns out to have malevolent intentions.
—Abigail Lee, Variety, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for malevolent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malevolent
Adjective
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Deepfakes have been growing more sophisticated in recent years, in addition to being increasingly deployed for malicious purposes.—
Shannon Bond,
NPR,
10 July 2025
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Stanton, demonstrating that there’s still plenty of power in his vicious swing, sent the pitch 401 feet the other way at 106.1 mph.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
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The author presents a vicious takedown of George Washington.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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Politics remains a cruel business and the governor has been on the frontline of it for nearly 20 years, winning and losing.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
5 July 2025
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They were joined by actors playing the contestants, who lurched along wearing expressions of exaggerated horror, as though the cruel stakes of the game had just been revealed to them.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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Hoxton Grove Estate is shrouded in bad vibes, from Jess’s fighting neighbors — a group of women who have been, by turns, loving and hateful toward each other all season, their intensity coming to a head when one of them is seduced by the other’s boyfriend — to Felix’s lethargy.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
11 July 2025
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Being a private equity venture, Substack directly profits from its creators, hateful and hopeful alike.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malevolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malevolent. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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