malevolent

adjective ma·lev·o·lent \mə-ˈle-və-lənt\

: having or showing a desire to cause harm to another person

Full Definition of MALEVOLENT

: having, showing, or arising from intense often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred

: productive of harm or evil

— ma·lev·o·lent·ly adverb

See malevolent defined for English-language learners

See malevolent defined for kids

Examples of MALEVOLENT

There was no acknowledgment of the effects of cycle upon cycle of malevolent defeat, of the injury of seeing one generation rise above the cusp of poverty only to be indignantly crushed, of the impact of repeating tsunamis of violence … —Douglas A. Blackmon, Slavery By Another Name, 2008
The sky looks heavy enough to sink and crush us when we see another twister bullying across the fields—a squat, malevolent-looking wedge. —Priit J. Vesilind, National Geographic, April 2004
No bigger than most house cats, it is possessed of such formidable armor and malevolent mien that when the makers of the latest Godzilla epic went looking for a prototype, they selected this lizard … —Peter Benchley, National Geographic, April 1999
The predominant spirit is very un-American; a kind of malevolent, drifting determinism pervades human beings who cannot, or do not want to, cope. —John Fowles, Atlantic, August 1986
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Origin of MALEVOLENT

Latin malevolent-, malevolens, from male badly + volent-, volens, present participle of velle to wish — more at mal-, will

First Known Use: 1509

Related to MALEVOLENT

Synonyms: bad [slang], bitchy, catty, cruel, despiteful, hateful, malicious, malign, malignant, mean, nasty, spiteful, vicious, virulent

Antonyms: benevolent, benign, benignant, loving, unmalicious

Rhymes with MALEVOLENT

benevolent

MALEVOLENT Defined for Kids

malevolent

adjective ma·lev·o·lent \mə-ˈle-və-lənt\

Definition of MALEVOLENT for Kids

: having or showing a desire to cause harm to another person <Christy and Megan … were whispering over on the other side of the room and casting malevolent looks in Mary Lou's direction. — Sharon Creech, Walk Two Moons>