vicious
222
5.2
- adjective
- /ˈvɪʃəs/
:
violento
- By modifying the child support order, the attorneys help break an otherwise vicious cycle of incarceration.
- a vicious attack
- a vicious dog
- a vicious fight
What's the most vicious animal on the earth?
- What's the most vicious animal on the earth?
- Because all they care about is their vicious, racist hatred of Jews.
- With respect to anger, there is vicious anger possible for human beings.
- But two things they have, they're vicious and they stick together.
- And then the, the sort of vicious attacks came.
- And they succeeded by vicious, humiliating racism and by violence.
- It was set up specifically to counter the vicious actions of Soviet Russia.
- The Mossad is the most vicious, but they're very small.
- I'm cruel and I'm vicious and I want to hurt people.
- So I've gone my whole life afraid of these bees, like thinking they're vicious animals.
- Amongst the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses.
- And Epstein and Maxwell were, you know, they're they were, they were vicious to these girls.
- It was a horribly vicious, violent crime that culminated in her death.
- Russia is supporting A brutal, vicious government.
Examples
-
One is a child who is vicious and uncaring, the product of a dysfunctional family.
Academic text (2008) -
On the morning we went to the marina, a vicious argument had erupted between my parents.
Fiction book (1991) -
The army attacks, leading to vicious fighting in the streets.
-
And then the, the sort of vicious attacks came.
-
And the existence of this vicious cycle is no longer a surprise to most law students.
Academic text (2017) -
These men are ruthless and vicious.
-
The success of the Baha'is in Iran led to a vicious response from Christian missionaries stationed there.
Academic text (2004) -
He's confident, he's smart, witty, dynamic, vicious, brutal, vindictive.
-
Then the Syrian media toned down their habitually vicious anti-American rhetoric, and diplomatic contacts increased steadily.
Academic text (1991) -
The bully's vicious behavior left a mark on his classmates and made school a nightmare for them.
Synonyms
∞
2.5
Using strong force that causes harm
522
2.7
Willing to cause pain or suffering to others
289
2.8
Unkind and too strict in what someone says or does to others
229
4.8
Very cruel and violent, causing pain or suffering
194
4.6
Showing strong dislike or opposition
152
4.9
Not feeling sorry for others and hurting them on purpose
132
5.1
Causing physical or mental harm to someone by cruel treatment
89
5.8
Wanting to hurt someone or damage their good name
64
5.5
Very strong and violent in a way that hurts or scares
27
4.5
Very fierce and violent and often cruel
26
6.0
Full of strong hate and meant to hurt people's feelings
10
9.3
Harsh, angry words that strongly hurt someone
7
8.4
Very harsh and full of hate in speech or writing
6
6.3
Showing strong hate and wanting to hurt someone
4
8.9
Unfriendly and likely to harm someone or something
3
8.5
Being very cruel and causing great pain
2
7.9
Very harsh and not forgiving when criticizing or acting
1
8.9
Acting in a harsh way that ignores other people's feelings
1
9.2
Ready to use violence to hurt people
Cruel and likely to cause great harm
Showing strong hate and trying to hurt someone
Saying harsh, mean things that hurt people
Being mean and trying to hurt people in a secret, sneaky way
Being cruel and speaking sharp words like a poisonous snake
Antonyms
Compounds
How Cruel
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Vicious is also linked to vice ('fault'), and over time the word came to describe acts that are dangerous and meant to hurt. That's why a vicious action is deliberately cruel or violent.