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malevolence

malevolence

8 8.8
A feeling of wanting to harm other people
  • noun
  • /məˈlɛvələns/
translation icon : malevolencia
  • It's always an exhibition of what he calls malevolence, which is a desire to hurt, to cause pain to other people.
  • see malevolence

Do you think their failure economist and government failure is malevolence or incompetence?

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Examples

  • The villain's malevolence was evident in his plan to destroy the city.

  • Her eyes fixed on Lewie, intensely perusing him for any signs of malevolence.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • And you think you can handle the malevolence of Hell all by yourself?

  • I can feel the malevolence.

  • Let me say only that the terrible malevolence that has visited your part of the country affects us all.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • No matter that a force shield lay between them; nothing protected them from the malevolence.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • There's so much malevolence to go around.

  • Psychologists have offered various theories to account for the development of malevolence in children and youth.

    Academic text (2003)
  • We can thrive under the difficult conditions that make up our lives, and we can resist the malevolence that entices us.

  • What people perceive as evil in ghosts and spirits is only a reflection of their own malevolence and fear.

Synonyms

hate
vsmalevolence
549 1.0

A very strong dislike that can make you want to harm someone

is specifically the wish for another to be harmed rather than dislike
hatred
vsmalevolence
394 1.9

A very strong dislike that can make a person want to hurt others

is about wishing harm specifically rather than general intense dislike
spite
vsmalevolence
322 4.4

A feeling of wanting to hurt or annoy someone

is the broader state of wishing harm rather than petty motivation
hostility
vsmalevolence
147 4.7

Unfriendly or angry actions and feelings toward someone

is the private wish to harm rather than general antagonistic attitude
animosity
vsmalevolence
57 6.1

Strong angry feeling toward a person or group

is the underlying wish to harm rather than active hostile behaviour
malice
vsmalevolence
54 6.3

A wish to hurt someone or make them suffer

is the general state of ill will rather than the deliberate intention
venom
vsmalevolence
22 7.3

A strong feeling of anger that makes you want to hurt others

is the general wish to harm rather than the sharp bitter feeling
ill will
vsmalevolence
19 5.3

A strong feeling of dislike or anger toward someone

is specifically wishing harm rather than general unfriendliness
animus
vsmalevolence
19 9.0

A strong feeling of hate toward someone or something

is the trait of wishing harm rather than the feeling of hostility
enmity
vsmalevolence
16 8.0

A strong feeling of hatred toward people or groups

is the personal wish to harm rather than an ongoing reciprocal hatred
meanness
vsmalevolence
9 5.4

Being unkind on purpose to other people

is the inner wish to harm rather than general deliberate unkindness
evilness
vsmalevolence
8 6.5

A quality of doing very bad things and wanting to harm people

is focused on wishing harm rather than broad moral wrongness
maliciousness
vsmalevolence
2 7.5

A wish to hurt or make other people suffer

is the broader wish to harm, not only active desire to cause suffering
hatefulness
vsmalevolence
2 5.9

Strong feelings of dislike and anger toward people or things

is focused on wishing harm rather than the general quality of hate
malignancy
vsmalevolence
  • Formal
1 8.4

A strong wish to harm others or make their lives worse

is focused on the wish to harm rather than extreme harmfulness
cruelness
vsmalevolence
1 4.5

Wanting to hurt or make others suffer

is the wish for harm rather than the act of causing physical pain
malignity
vsmalevolence
1 9.9

A strong wish to hurt or cause pain to other people

is the general wish to harm rather than persistent active ill will
virulence
vsmalevolence
1 9.2

Very strong, hurtful words or actions toward someone

is the inward wish to harm rather than expressed hostile action
malintent
vsmalevolence
  • Formal
1 9.3

An intention to harm someone or act for bad reasons

is the broader quality of wishing harm, not only deliberate intent
spitefulness
vsmalevolence
1 7.4

A wish to hurt, upset, or annoy other people

is the general wish for harm rather than regular mean behaviour
nefariousness
vsmalevolence
  • Formal
1 9.6

Very evil behaviour that harms other people

is the internal wish to harm rather than outward moral wickedness
malevolency
vsmalevolence
9.8

A feeling of wanting to harm other people

is identical in meaning but differs as an alternative form
malignance
vsmalevolence
  • Literature
9.7

A strong wish to hurt other people

is the general state of wishing harm rather than naming intensity
malignant nature
vsmalevolence
  • Specialized
9.7

A very harmful and cruel way of being that hurts other people

is the broader state of wishing harm, not only deep character
virulency
vsmalevolence
9.9

Very strong, bitter speech or writing that tries to hurt someone

is the simple state of wishing harm rather than extreme bitterness
villainousness
vsmalevolence
9.2

Being very bad and cruel to other people

is the wish to harm specifically, not overall wicked character

Antonyms

297 1.0

Friendly and generous actions that help or comfort other people

16 6.1

Kind feelings and actions that help other people

How Malevolent

hatred
394 1.9
malevolence
8 8.8
malice
54 6.3
ill will
19 5.3
spite
322 4.4

Surface Forms

malevolence singular
malevolences plural

Morphology

malevolence = malevolent (transparent) = malevolent + ence

Standard noun formation: the adjective 'malevolent' takes the noun-forming suffix '-ence' to denote the state or quality of being malevolent.

Etymology

Malevolence comes from Latin parts male- meaning 'bad' and velle meaning 'to wish', so it literally means 'bad wishing'. That's why malevolence is the feeling of wanting to harm someone, the opposite of benevolence ('good wishing').