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
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Recent Examples of malevolent
Thus malevolent dolls stalk horror directors’ nightmares, from Chucky to Annabelle to M3gan.
—
Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
Federal money controlled by a malevolent president who could and already has done California real harm may be all that is standing between our state and converging troubles that seem more likely by the day.
—Tom Philp, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2025
Girls trying to learn to negotiate the world, repressive institutions in cavernous spaces and obscurely malevolent authority figures, all suffused in an atmosphere of menace, are her recurring motifs.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
In the movie, this theme is played out as Jimmy’s spirit grows more and more malevolent, showing that disrupting the natural order of life and death isn’t just a faux pas in the realm of witchcraft but a dangerous road that can never truly lead to happiness or closure.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 19 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for malevolent
Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
Federal money controlled by a malevolent president who could and already has done California real harm may be all that is standing between our state and converging troubles that seem more likely by the day.
—Tom Philp, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2025
Girls trying to learn to negotiate the world, repressive institutions in cavernous spaces and obscurely malevolent authority figures, all suffused in an atmosphere of menace, are her recurring motifs.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
In the movie, this theme is played out as Jimmy’s spirit grows more and more malevolent, showing that disrupting the natural order of life and death isn’t just a faux pas in the realm of witchcraft but a dangerous road that can never truly lead to happiness or closure.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 19 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for malevolent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malevolent
Adjective
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The best way to safeguard against malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
23 Mar. 2025
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These methods can easily miss deeper behavioral indicators that would signal a malicious payload lurking beneath the surface.—
Alex Vakulov,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This creates a vicious cycle: more applications lead to lower acceptance rates, triggering even more applications from worried students.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
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However, some people develop unhelpful habits and ways of thinking about sleep that create a vicious cycle, said Krieger, who is also director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In Season 2, a cruel winter brings new challenges and unfinished business to Jacob (Harrison Ford) and Cara (Helen Mirren) back at Dutton ranch.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2025
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Michael, in a filmed conversation with Grace, claimed that his ex-wife had manipulated him and was cruel to Natalia.—
Fortesa Latifi,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Beauvais’ comments about fan support are likely in reference to the support she’s received when clashing with her castmates, as well as in season 12, when her teenage son experienced hateful online backlash.—
Jackie Strause,
The Hollywood Reporter,
25 Mar. 2025
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This group includes canola, corn, cottonseed, grapeseed, rice bran, soybean, safflower, and sunflower oils. Skepticism of the hateful eight stems from the production process of many seed oils, which uses mechanical or chemical treatment.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malevolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malevolent. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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