as in malice
the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm
the maliciousness of some Internet trolls led the editor to start moderating comments on the site
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maliciousness
Noun
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Prosecutors could not prove malice in the case.—
Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
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Some commenters did acknowledge a minority viewpoint, suggesting the conflict may stem from differing perspectives rather than malice.—
Noun
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It’s theorized this is because the brown widow isn’t able to inject as much venom as its larger relative.—
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Their venom Is not considered dangerous to humans, although a bite would likely be painful and cause swelling similar to that of a wasp sting.—
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Cite this Entry
“Maliciousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maliciousness. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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