VICIOUSNESS Synonyms: 133 Similar and Opposite Words

viciousness

noun

Definition of viciousness

as in malice

the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm simple viciousness can be the only reason for spreading such vile, unfounded rumors

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in cruelty

disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others the unspeakable viciousness of some dictators in the past

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of viciousness The viciousness of Manson’s crimes left a lasting mark on American culture and Manson himself achieved a perverse popularity — which has not dissipated in the years since his death. — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026 The jury further determined that the crimes involved a threat of great bodily harm and demonstrated a high degree of cruelty, viciousness or callousness, the district attorney's office said. — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 18 June 2026 The expediency of their exchanges (back and forth over a couple of weeks) electrified the planet, especially the mounting viciousness of Lamar’s attack (ad hominem all the way). — New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026 The horror has come now like a storm— what if this night prefigured the night after death— what if all thereafter was an eternal quivering on the edge of an abyss, with everything base and vicious in oneself urging one forward and the baseness and viciousness of the world just ahead. — Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026 But this candid and absorbing memoir is also a stark reminder of the corruptions of power, the uncertainties of revolution and the frequent viciousness of human nature. — Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026 Down 14 points with 30 seconds left, the viciousness of the hit seemed more about injuring than winning a game that was already settled. — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026 The casual viciousness of children is the centerpiece of the film, which has triggered audiences who grew up in the same era as Polinger. — William Earl, Variety, 23 Dec. 2025 Hinkey finds both viciousness and vulnerability within Red Feather, crafting, through his fierce physicality and long, unblinking gazes, a man aware of the world steadily leaving him behind. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for viciousness

Noun

Good intentions can become intentional malice when policymakers ignore clear warnings and leave taxpayers stuck with the bill.

— Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 19 Aug. 2026
Takamura tasks Musashi with eliminating the malice that has spread around the city.

— Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of malice

Noun

Law enforcement sources involved in the case told WJZ that the horse was being cared for by someone who is facing animal cruelty and abandonment charges in an unrelated case in West Virginia.

— Tara Lynch, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
The real problem is the culture, and when culture rewards cruelty, the damage spreads.

— Jodi Bondi Norgaard, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of cruelty

Noun

The army Mladic created to fight in Bosnia was a model of ruthlessness, daring and brutality in the Serb warrior tradition, once prized in the life-or-death partisan struggle against the Nazi occupation of Yugoslavia in World War Two.

— Ivana Sekularac, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Freya is the granddaughter of Athos — a dog who survived the Russian brutality in Bucha and was found on the street where Ukrainian forces destroyed a large Russian convoy, Danylchenko told the Associated Press in an interview.

— Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of brutality

Noun

His hatred of the Islamic State group appears genuine, and American cooperation with Damascus against the terrorist network will benefit the Syrians who suffered most under its rule.

— Jason M. Blazakis, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Yet Christ Jesus consistently refused to let fear, hatred, or sin define his view of anyone’s identity.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of hatred

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viciously

viciousness

vicissitude

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“Viciousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/viciousness. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of viciousness

noun

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