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
Examples 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
Hamas and Hezbollah are both proxies for Iran, the true malevolent power in the Middle East.
—
Mike Brest, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 17 Oct. 2024
With this newfound power, Exo takes on the overlords of a crumbling Grid all while evading Conn, a malevolent agent of CORE.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 14 Oct. 2024
Ranch follows a couple who move into their dream home in Idaho, only to discover that a malevolent spirit inhabits their valley.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Oct. 2024
The malevolent forces of the world hide there; the ghouls who give us nightmares and ill omens and bad luck.
—Caitlin Penzeymoog, Vox, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for malevolent 
Mike Brest, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 17 Oct. 2024
With this newfound power, Exo takes on the overlords of a crumbling Grid all while evading Conn, a malevolent agent of CORE.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 14 Oct. 2024
Ranch follows a couple who move into their dream home in Idaho, only to discover that a malevolent spirit inhabits their valley.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Oct. 2024
The malevolent forces of the world hide there; the ghouls who give us nightmares and ill omens and bad luck.
—Caitlin Penzeymoog, Vox, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for malevolent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malevolent
Adjective
-
Apple has since revoked the notarization for the malicious program.Michael Kan, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
-
Between the lines: Many cybersecurity tools scan endpoints for signs of malicious intruders trying to get in.Sam Sabin, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
That forces him to descend the 8,000-foot-and-higher safety zone of the Rocky Mountains, and into the lower-elevation danger zone where vicious monsters roam free.John Wenzel, The Denver Post, 14 Nov. 2024
-
Scott, the old pro, knows how to give these scenes a vicious vitality that overcomes any thoughts about how the Romans supposedly got live sharks in the water.Alison Willmore, Vulture, 11 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
This soaring exploration of generational trauma starts with Star, a survivor of the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre, who’s forced to speak English and practice Christianity by the man who goes on to found the notoriously cruel Carlisle Indian Industrial School.Lizz Schumer, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
-
But at times, there’s a defensive, slightly cruel streak to his patter that can eclipse his better angels (of which there are many) and test the goodwill of those around him.Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
The hateful rhetoric has been deployed all the way down the ballot, in Senate races, statehouse contests, and state constitutional amendment campaigns.Madison Pauly and Sarah Szilagy, Them, 5 Nov. 2024
-
The worthwhile parts of Twitter (real-time news, sports, culture, silly memes, spontaneous encounters with celebrity accounts) have been drowned out by hateful garbage.Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near malevolent
Cite this Entry
“Malevolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malevolent. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share