vicious

adjective

ˈvi-shəs How to pronounce vicious (audio)
Definition of viciousnext
1
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect a vicious winter storm ripped through the region

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others she made a vicious effort to destroy the lives of the people who had wronged her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unlawful
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable a truly vicious person detested by almost everyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in savage
violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition a vicious dog that has already bitten several people

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it he spread vicious rumors about his ex-wife after their bitter divorce

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective vicious differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of vicious are corrupt, degenerate, iniquitous, nefarious, and villainous. While all these words mean "highly reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct," vicious may directly oppose virtuous in implying moral depravity, or may connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive violence.

a vicious gangster

Where would corrupt be a reasonable alternative to vicious?

The synonyms corrupt and vicious are sometimes interchangeable, but corrupt stresses a loss of moral integrity or probity causing betrayal of principle or sworn obligations.

city hall was rife with corrupt politicians

In what contexts can degenerate take the place of vicious?

The words degenerate and vicious can be used in similar contexts, but degenerate suggests having sunk to an especially vicious or enervated condition.

a degenerate regime propped up by foreign powers

When could iniquitous be used to replace vicious?

While in some cases nearly identical to vicious, iniquitous implies absence of all signs of justice or fairness.

an iniquitous system of taxation

When can nefarious be used instead of vicious?

In some situations, the words nefarious and vicious are roughly equivalent. However, nefarious suggests flagrant breaching of time-honored laws and traditions of conduct.

the nefarious rackets of organized crime

When is it sensible to use villainous instead of vicious?

Although the words villainous and vicious have much in common, villainous applies to any evil, depraved, or vile conduct or characteristic.

a villainous assault

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 vicious The film focuses on a psychological experiment that Kaczynski was part of in college, where he was subjected to vicious personal attacks. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026 In the clip, an 11-year-old Breakers player can be seen skating up the ice before delivering a vicious, two-handed slash to the head of a Kings player. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026 The strikes were often most vicious in the far north of Yemen, a rebel stronghold and the region where the Houthi movement had been founded, in the nineteen-nineties. — Kareem Fahim, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026 Jane’s belief in forgiveness crashes up against the far less categorical reality of a vicious world when the Lawsons are dropped into a situation of extreme terror. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicious
  1. intense
  2. brutal
  3. unlawful
  4. savage
  5. malicious
  6. intensive
  7. cruel
  8. evil
Adjective
  • Through it all, Pi-o and Jeong-yo’s intense, often tender relationship serves as a throughline, bringing many viewers to question if the Netflix series qualifies as a boys’ love (aka BL) drama.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The Castle of Oia is also lovely—though the sunset-seeking crowds can be intense.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of intense
Adjective
  • Thirty-two years after Brown Simpson's brutal killing, her sister continues to alert people to the dangers of intimate partner violence.
    — Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The Trojans face Washington at the Coliseum before a brutal stretch that includes Penn State, Indiana and Ohio State, with their playoff hopes at stake.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of brutal
Adjective
  • In a blow to the investment migration industry, the European Union's top court ruled Malta's golden passport program unlawful in April 2025, declaring that EU citizenship could not be sold.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • In a blow to the investment migration industry, the European Union’s top court ruled Malta’s golden passport program unlawful in April 2025, declaring that EU citizenship could not be sold.
    — Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of unlawful
Adjective
  • The Indian pilot who fought off a savage attack by his copilot and helped prevent an apparent hijack of a Flydubai plane heading to Israel with more than 170 people on board is being hailed as a hero.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index weathered a savage 30% drawdown, has been choppily trendless for two months, then in recent days finally broke above its downtrend and surmounted the 50-day moving average.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • Once installed, the malicious app pushes you to enable Android's Accessibility service.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Companies should detect prompt injection, malicious or compromised tools, behavioral anomalies, data exfiltration and other threats.
    — Shashwat Sehgal, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of malicious
Adjective
  • At research-intensive institutions, critical knowledge is often distributed across specialized offices, sponsor websites, internal guidance, prior submissions and experienced staff.
    — Mayank Kejriwal, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Removing the thermal drying stage could also make electrode manufacturing less capital- and energy-intensive.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of intensive
Adjective
  • The policy of sending them to a third country has been condemned as harsh and cruel.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Eight men were killed via gassing until an Alabama district judge ruled the execution method unconstitutionally cruel, in June; the Supreme Court has maintained the block.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • Margaret’s belief that Carrie is inherently evil because her conception wasn’t too far from rape is gone, along with Carrie’s awkwardness and chubbiness (and King’s suggestion that even fat girls can be desirable).
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
  • That isn’t to say that Mark Zuckerberg is less evil than Sam Altman, only that these films — one diagnostic, the other biblical — adopt categorically different perspectives on their subjects, neither one of whom can leave their humanity behind.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of evil

Phrases Containing vicious

Browse Nearby Words

vicinity
vicious
vicious circle
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicious. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All