malicious
Deliberately unkind and wanting to hurt others.
malicious in a sentence
- Spreading that malicious rumour was meant to make Zara cry.
- The malicious goblin in the story hid the travellers' shoes just to make them miserable.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to malicious?
- Aspiteful
- Bfriendly
- Ccaring
- Dkind
Show the answer
A: spiteful. The other three mean the opposite of malicious.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to malicious?
- Aspiteful
- Bnasty
- Ckind
- Dmean
Show the answer
C: kind. The other three mean nearly the same as malicious.
Words that mean something similar
spiteful, mean, nasty
Words that mean the opposite
kind, caring, friendly
More words about character & personality
- mediocre: Not bad but not good either, just ordinary.
- meek: Quiet, gentle and not standing up for yourself.
- merchant: Someone who buys and sells goods, especially in large amounts.
- merciful: Kind and forgiving instead of punishing.
- meticulous: Very careful about every tiny detail.
- miserly: Mean with money and hating to spend it.
- modest: Not boasting about your talents or success.
- mortal: Certain to die one day, like all living things.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test