malevolent

adjective

mə-ˈle-və-lənt How to pronounce malevolent (audio)
Definition of malevolentnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of malevolent If only professional old salt Wyck (Stephen Root) would quit with the doomsday prophecies about the fog being a sign of the island waking from malevolent slumber. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Erika looks on with the malevolent bemusement of a college cheerleader coming back to homecoming to judge her old high school squad. — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026 In other cases Hoodoo was used to counter the threat of curses, as in the practice of suspending bottles from a tree to trap any malevolent spirits or witches traveling in spirit form. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026 The Gwi Realm is a desolate, crimson wasteland littered with malevolent presence, so naturally there have been comparisons to that other little Netflix show called Stranger Things. — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for malevolent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malevolent
  1. malicious
  2. vicious
  3. cruel
  4. hateful
Adjective
  • Moreover, the perpetrators do not appear to have used malicious code on the fridge controllers, potentially complicating efforts to track down who carried out the cyberattack, added Aimé.
    — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The best way to protect yourself from malicious links that install malware and potentially access your private information is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of malicious
Adjective
  • So too, the possibility of Rollerball-style carnage carnivals where robots compete in vicious cage matches until only one android is still moving.
    — Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Cash reserves totaling $ 7,450,869 are being used to eviscerate his opponent with a vicious barrage of ad hominem assaults, thus giving him a 61 to 1 spending edge.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • In response to legislation to end the cruelty once and for all, the Daily News once again trotted out its old and tired defense of this cruel, deadly and outdated industry.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Policing cringe is the cruelest métier of the internet—the origin of harassment campaigns and platforming of contempt.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • Manchester police say over the weekend, vandals wreaked havoc leaving several hateful, antisemitic, racist and homophobic slurs on people's property.
    — Paul Burton, CBS News, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Ossoff went a step further, accusing Collins himself of amplifying hateful content and saying that his former congressional aide had intervened on behalf of a Holocaust denier.
    — AJC.com, AJC.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of hateful

Browse Nearby Words

malevolence
malevolent
malevolently
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Cite this Entry

“Malevolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malevolent. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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