vicious

[ vish-uhs ]

adjective

1. spiteful; malicious:

   vicious gossip;

   a vicious attack.

   Synonyms: malevolent

2. savage; ferocious:

   They all feared his vicious temper.

3. (of an animal) having bad habits or a cruel or fierce disposition:

   a vicious bull.

4. unpleasantly severe:

   a vicious headache.

5. addicted to or characterized by vice; grossly immoral; depraved; profligate:

   a vicious life.

   Synonyms: sinful, iniquitous, corrupt, abandoned

   Antonyms: moral

6. given or readily disposed to evil:

   a vicious criminal.

7. reprehensible; blameworthy; wrong:

   a vicious deception.

8. characterized or marred by faults or defects; faulty; unsound:

   vicious reasoning.

9. Archaic. morbid, foul, or noxious.

vicious

/ ˈvɪʃəs /

adjective

1. wicked or cruel; villainous

   a vicious thug

2. characterized by violence or ferocity

   a vicious blow

3. informal.
   unpleasantly severe; harsh

   a vicious wind

4. characterized by malice

   vicious lies

5. (esp of dogs, horses, etc) ferocious or hostile; dangerous
6. characterized by or leading to vice
7. invalidated by defects; unsound

   a vicious inference

8. obsolete.
   noxious or morbid

   a vicious exhalation

Derived Forms

• ˈviciousness, noun
• ˈviciously, adverb

Other Words From

• vicious·ly adverb
• vicious·ness noun
• un·vicious adjective
• un·vicious·ly adverb
• un·vicious·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of vicious¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English or directly from Anglo-French, from Latin vitiōsus, equivalent to viti(um) “fault, defect, vice” ( vice ¹ ) + -ōsus -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of vicious¹

C14: from Old French vicieus, from Latin vitiōsus full of faults, from vitium a defect

Example Sentences

"But we're fighting a war against a vicious enemy and we must have the right to use everything we need within the realm of international law to defend ourselves," he said.

From BBC

I don't know that the film told me anything I didn't already know but it did remind me of just how vicious Cohn was and how much Trump loved that about him.

From Salon

But her guests were apropos — it fits her music to have something soft yet vicious arriving out of nowhere to claim a lot of attention.

From Los Angeles Times

At one point, she reflects, “I understand now how easy it is to hate them. One vicious act.”

From Salon

He argued in a social media post that Latino politicians were using the term “to appease white rich progressives who think that is the term we use. It is a vicious circle of confirmation bias.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• brutal
• cruel
• dirty
• evil
• fierce
• intense
• malevolent
• malicious
• murderous
• rancorous
• savage
• spiteful
• venomous
• vindictive
• violent
• wicked