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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
The 2025 Carolinas Climate Summit in uptown joins climate experts and folks working in their neighborhoods to combat the malevolent effects of the weather for a daylong series of panel discussions open to everyone.
—
Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2025
In the comics, Bob Reynolds/Sentry has a split personality and his other persona is that of The Void, a malevolent villain.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
Last seen on Broadway in the excellent 2019 solo one-acts Sea Wall/A Life, Gyllenhaal bounds, loose-limbed and bursting with malevolent energy, onto the Barrymore stage and barely takes a breath for the next nearly three hours.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2025
And what was the House Un-American Activities Committee but one big, malevolent exercise in gossip-mongering?
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malevolent
Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2025
In the comics, Bob Reynolds/Sentry has a split personality and his other persona is that of The Void, a malevolent villain.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
Last seen on Broadway in the excellent 2019 solo one-acts Sea Wall/A Life, Gyllenhaal bounds, loose-limbed and bursting with malevolent energy, onto the Barrymore stage and barely takes a breath for the next nearly three hours.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2025
And what was the House Un-American Activities Committee but one big, malevolent exercise in gossip-mongering?
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malevolent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malevolent
Adjective
-
These emails might include malicious links designed to install malware or steal login information.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
FOXNews.com,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Time to update: Apple has discovered hackers exploiting an iOS bug via malicious media files.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This was a vicious weaponization of your government.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Shauna may be the vicious Antler Queen now, but Lottie also played a role in Mari’s death.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Everybody else has no choice, really, other than to bring a cruel, narcissistic far-right leader to power.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Jokes that didn’t land with the squad The kids in Bad Influence say the pranks were the most cruel.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
As quickly as the Oakland Parks Department paints over these hateful tropes, fresh ones appear.—
Mark Cohen,
The Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2025
-
Unfortunately, Oakland’s antisemitism has escalated beyond hateful words.—
Mark Cohen,
The Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malevolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malevolent. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share