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

He is accused of killing Kuanlun Wang, 37, and his wife, Jing Li, 37, in two separate, vicious attacks.

From Los Angeles Times

The gender divide in our real world is underplayed in the “Arcane” universe, but relationships between individuals are contaminated by a similarly vicious strain of the x-word itself, xenophobia — in the “Arcane” universe, between residents of the symbiotic communities of Piltover and Zaun.

From Salon

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

From Salon

Nacro CEO Campbell Robb said: "The vicious cycle of reoffending so many prison leavers find themselves trapped in is often driven by homelessness and unemployment."

From BBC

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