malevolent

adjective

ma·lev·o·lent mə-ˈle-və-lənt How to pronounce malevolent (audio)

: having, showing, or arising from intense often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred

: productive of harm or evil

malevolently adverb

Did you know?

On the Origin of Malevolent

That malevolent begins with male- does not imply any connection with gender. The word's initial component comes ultimately from the Latin adverb male "badly"; English male "a man or a boy," by contrast, descends from the unrelated Latin noun masculus "male." Malevolent was taken into English directly from the Latin malevolens "ill-disposed, spiteful," which paired male with volens, the present participle of a verb meaning "to wish." In Latin, the combination literally meant "wishing ill." The "wishing" component of malevolent may also be found in its antonym benevolent "kind and generous" (from Latin benevolens, literally, "wishing well") and in a rare English word, somnivolency ("a sleep-inducing agent"), in which it is yoked with somni- "sleep" (from Latin somnus) in a compound literally meaning "inclination to sleep."

Example Sentences

There was no acknowledgment of the effects of cycle upon cycle of malevolent defeat, of the injury of seeing one generation rise above the cusp of poverty only to be indignantly crushed, of the impact of repeating tsunamis of violence …

Douglas A. Blackmon, Slavery By Another Name, 2008 The sky looks heavy enough to sink and crush us when we see another twister bullying across the fields—a squat, malevolent-looking wedge.

Priit J. Vesilind, National Geographic, April 2004 No bigger than most house cats, it is possessed of such formidable armor and malevolent mien that when the makers of the latest Godzilla epic went looking for a prototype, they selected this lizard …

Peter Benchley, National Geographic, April 1999 The predominant spirit is very un-American; a kind of malevolent, drifting determinism pervades human beings who cannot, or do not want to, cope.

John Fowles, Atlantic, August 1986 the novel grossly oversimplified the conflict as a struggle between relentlessly malevolent villains on one side and faultless saints on the other

Recent Examples on the Web Under the influence of malevolent supernatural forces, Jack slowly goes crazy.

New York Times, 4 July 2022 The Gnostics had this idea that the material world was created as a mistake, and there were these malevolent forces corrupting humanity.

Owen Myers, EW.com, 30 June 2022 The malevolent version holds that China deliberately released the virus.

Naomi Oreskes, Scientific American, 16 Aug. 2021 At the heart of the play are machinations and scheming, of both the benevolent and malevolent sort, designed to steer or derail the course of love.

Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 28 July 2022 Under the influence of malevolent supernatural forces, Jack slowly goes crazy.

New York Times, 4 July 2022 Along with the media onrush and charitable response came another, far more malevolent form of attention.

Elizabeth Williamson, The Atlantic, 2 June 2022 Whether through callousness in targeting or simply by malevolent design, terror has rained down from the skies on shopping malls, apartment buildings, schools and medical facilities, killing dozens of civilians.

New York Times, 15 July 2022 Sporting a muscle polo and a malevolent grin, Evans is clearly enjoying his liberation from Captain America heroics.

Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2022 See More

单词	malevolently
释义	malevolent adjective ma·lev·o·lent mə-ˈle-və-lənt 1 : having, showing, or arising from intense often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred 2 : productive of harm or evil malevolently adverb Did you know? On the Origin of Malevolent That malevolent begins with male- does not imply any connection with gender. The word's initial component comes ultimately from the Latin adverb male "badly"; English male "a man or a boy," by contrast, descends from the unrelated Latin noun masculus "male." Malevolent was taken into English directly from the Latin malevolens "ill-disposed, spiteful," which paired male with volens, the present participle of a verb meaning "to wish." In Latin, the combination literally meant "wishing ill." The "wishing" component of malevolent may also be found in its antonym benevolent "kind and generous" (from Latin benevolens, literally, "wishing well") and in a rare English word, somnivolency ("a sleep-inducing agent"), in which it is yoked with somni- "sleep" (from Latin somnus) in a compound literally meaning "inclination to sleep." Synonyms bad [slang] bitchy catty cruel despiteful hateful malicious malign malignant mean nasty spiteful vicious virulent See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences There was no acknowledgment of the effects of cycle upon cycle of malevolent defeat, of the injury of seeing one generation rise above the cusp of poverty only to be indignantly crushed, of the impact of repeating tsunamis of violence … Douglas A. Blackmon, Slavery By Another Name, 2008 The sky looks heavy enough to sink and crush us when we see another twister bullying across the fields—a squat, malevolent-looking wedge. Priit J. Vesilind, National Geographic, April 2004 No bigger than most house cats, it is possessed of such formidable armor and malevolent mien that when the makers of the latest Godzilla epic went looking for a prototype, they selected this lizard … Peter Benchley, National Geographic, April 1999 The predominant spirit is very un-American; a kind of malevolent, drifting determinism pervades human beings who cannot, or do not want to, cope. John Fowles, Atlantic, August 1986 the novel grossly oversimplified the conflict as a struggle between relentlessly malevolent villains on one side and faultless saints on the other Recent Examples on the Web Under the influence of malevolent supernatural forces, Jack slowly goes crazy. New York Times, 4 July 2022 The Gnostics had this idea that the material world was created as a mistake, and there were these malevolent forces corrupting humanity. Owen Myers, EW.com, 30 June 2022 The malevolent version holds that China deliberately released the virus. Naomi Oreskes, Scientific American, 16 Aug. 2021 At the heart of the play are machinations and scheming, of both the benevolent and malevolent sort, designed to steer or derail the course of love. Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 28 July 2022 Under the influence of malevolent supernatural forces, Jack slowly goes crazy. New York Times, 4 July 2022 Along with the media onrush and charitable response came another, far more malevolent form of attention. Elizabeth Williamson, The Atlantic, 2 June 2022 Whether through callousness in targeting or simply by malevolent design, terror has rained down from the skies on shopping malls, apartment buildings, schools and medical facilities, killing dozens of civilians. New York Times, 15 July 2022 Sporting a muscle polo and a malevolent grin, Evans is clearly enjoying his liberation from Captain America heroics. Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2022 See More Word History Etymology Latin malevolent-, malevolens, from male badly + volent-, volens, present participle of velle to wish — more at mal-, will First Known Use 1509, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Kids Definition malevolent adjective ma·lev·o·lent mə-ˈle-və-lənt : having or showing a desire to cause harm to another person Christy and Megan … were whispering over on the other side of the room and casting malevolent looks in Mary Lou's direction. Sharon Creech, Walk Two Moons malevolently adverb as in villainously in a mean or spiteful manner "I'll get you yet!" she hissed malevolently Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance villainously hatefully maliciously despitefully malignantly bitterly viciously spitefully nastily wickedly virulently venomously hostilely cattily bitchily disagreeably vindictively resentfully contemptuously disdainfully obnoxiously balefully caustically invidiously cruelly scornfully antagonistically vituperatively ruthlessly pitilessly mercilessly enviously unfeelingly meanly diabolically heartlessly callously jealously unkindly ungraciously soullessly inhumanely acrimoniously rancorously fiendishly insensitively felly deprecatingly ill envyingly thoughtlessly evil-mindedly hard-heartedly caddishly kindlessly misanthropically inconsiderately ill-naturedly Antonyms & Near Antonyms benevolently kindly pleasantly benignantly amiably genially affably agreeably graciously cordially nicely thoughtfully lovingly altruistically soulfully humanely solicitously sympathetically sensitively considerately sweetly mercifully good-naturedly gently compassionately feelingly good-humoredly kindheartedly good-heartedly divinely tenderly angelically softheartedly See More
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malevolent

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

adverb