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malice

noun
mal·​ice | \ ˈma-lÉ™s How to pronounce malice (audio) \

Definition of malice

1 : desire to cause pain, injury, or distress to another an attack motivated by pure malice
2 : intent to commit an unlawful act or cause harm without legal justification or excuse ruined her reputation and did it with malice
Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Malicious, Malevolent, and Malice More Example Sentences Learn More about malice

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Choose the Right Synonym for malice

malice, malevolence, ill will, spite, malignity, spleen, grudge mean the desire to see another experience pain, injury, or distress. malice implies a deep-seated often unexplainable desire to see another suffer. felt no malice toward their former enemies malevolence suggests a bitter persistent hatred that is likely to be expressed in malicious conduct. a look of dark malevolence ill will implies a feeling of antipathy of limited duration. ill will provoked by a careless remark spite implies petty feelings of envy and resentment that are often expressed in small harassments. petty insults inspired by spite malignity implies deep passion and relentlessness. a life consumed by motiveless malignity spleen suggests the wrathful release of latent spite or persistent malice. venting his spleen against politicians grudge implies a harbored feeling of resentment or ill will that seeks satisfaction. never one to harbor a grudge

Malicious, Malevolent, and Malice

Malicious and malevolent are close in meaning, since both refer to ill will that desires to see someone else suffer. But while malevolent suggests deep and lasting dislike, malicious usually means petty and spiteful. Malicious gossipers are often simply envious of a neighbor's good fortune. Vandals may take malicious pleasure in destroying and defacing property but usually don't truly hate the owners. Malice is an important legal concept, which has to be proved in order to convict someone of certain crimes such as first-degree murder.

Examples of malice in a Sentence

All of this is about control, of course. While nicknames can just as easily be dispensed with affection as with malice, either way the practice is as stone alpha male as social interaction gets. — Garry Trudeau, Time, 12 Feb. 2001 The killer that Capote himself became—far more efficiently than Perry and Dick—when, in poisonous prose and on talk-shows, he laid waste his friends and skewered his competitors with malice as pure as the air in an oxygen tent. — Molly Haskell, New York Times Book Review, 12 June 1988 It isn't so much courage that I would need, as the patience to endure the grinding malice of bureaucratic harassment. — Alice Walker, Living by the Word, 1981 No doubt his natural floridity of face encouraged whispers, and partisan malice exaggerated them; but during the eighteen-thirties he certainly drank enough to invite the solicitude of his friends and the gibes of his enemies. — Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., The Age of Jackson, 1946 an attack motivated by pure malice She claimed that her criticisms were without malice.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 But after a jury convicted Elkins of malice murder and other crimes, Superior Court Judge Stephen Kelly sentenced him to life in prison with no chance of parole, though the teen’s defense attorneys argued that punishment was too harsh. — Washington Post, "Georgia Supreme Court orders review of slain baby case," 1 July 2019 The seven-day window for teachers to object to the inclusion of certain information would come in handy if, for example, Moore said, a person requested documents out of malice. — oregonlive.com, "Portland school board adopts controversial public records agreement, with a slight tweak," 26 June 2019 Attorneys define malice as an intention to do injury. — Dan Strumpf, WSJ, "Huawei Hits Back at Claims It Steals Secrets," 27 June 2019 The brutality and intensity of Julio Patricio Salazar’s death was evidence, prosecutors successfully argued, of the malice of his alleged killer — 27-year-old Michael Nash. — Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, "Good Samaritan killed in Arlington last year was ‘beaten to death,’ medical examiner testifies," 24 June 2019 The malice with which Queen Marguerite spits out her lines, the throb of anguish in Queen Marie’s voice and the Doctor’s affected sneer all start to feel stale after a while. — Margaret Gray, latimes.com, "Review: At City Garage in Santa Monica, a king who won't accept the ultimate exit," 19 June 2019 There's so much darkness across the globe, worsening as the days go by—war, hatred, malice—yet there will always be a sense of beauty present. — Dennis Tang, Teen Vogue, "How Hafsah Faizal Created a Fantastical World Rooted in Reality," 28 May 2019 Still, no one will have any doubt about the malice of the plan Lila devised. — Dorothy Rabinowitz, WSJ, "‘My Brilliant Friend’ Review: Mindful Storytelling," 15 Nov. 2018 The green 10-ora note features a Voortrekker mother crying out at some unseen malice, her limp son draped in her arms. — Gregory Barber, WIRED, "Inside an All-White Town’s Divisive Experiment With Cryptocurrency," 6 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'malice.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of malice

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for malice

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin malitia, from malus bad

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More Definitions for malice

malice

noun
How to pronounce malice (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of malice

: a desire to cause harm to another person

See the full definition for malice in the English Language Learners Dictionary

malice

noun
mal·​ice | \ ˈma-lÉ™s How to pronounce malice (audio) \

Kids Definition of malice

: a desire to cause harm to another person

malice

noun
mal·​ice | \ ˈma-lÉ™s How to pronounce malice (audio) \

Legal Definition of malice

1a : the intention or desire to cause harm (as death, bodily injury, or property damage) to another through an unlawful or wrongful act without justification or excuse
b : wanton disregard for the right

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