as in malice
the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm
only mindless malevolence would explain this cruel vandalism
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Recent Examples of malevolence
The message is the malevolence of AI for the most part.
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Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 3 Jan. 2025
The London Cat, a great skinless feline who likes to turn people inside-out and embodies all the mischief and malevolence of cats).
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 3 Jan. 2025
Nicolas Cage went for a high-concept ghoul in Longlegs; Hugh Grant reveled in professorial malevolence in Heretic; Naomi Scott unraveled in the face of grinning death in Smile 2.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2024
In the initial months of Donald Trump’s second Administration, the qualities of malevolence, retribution, and bewildering velocity have obscured somewhat the ineptitude of its principals.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malevolence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malevolence
Noun
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Jon Worrell, 58, was arrested on charges including malice murder and felony murder in the death of his wife Doris Worrell, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.—
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Cornell faces charges of voyeurism with malice, second-degree stalking and breach of peace.—
Noun
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At another point, he’s forced to fight while on a psychedelic trip after ingesting toad venom.—
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For example, in Papua New Guinea, most of the snakes produce neurotoxic venom.—
Noun
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The project educates students about the dangers of hatred and bigotry and the importance of standing against all forms of prejudice.—
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Meanwhile, Republicans such as our current president spew contempt like volcanoes of hatred, prejudice and madness.—
Noun
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On Tuesday, May 20, the Orange County District Attorney's Office confirmed in a press release that Alejandro Acosta Oliveros was charged with felony animal cruelty and felony theft of a companion animal.—
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Turquoise Morton, 38, is charged with abandoning a domestic animal and animal cruelty for allegedly torturing, tormenting, or maiming a dog.—
Cite this Entry
“Malevolence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malevolence. Accessed 26 May. 2025.
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