Vocabulary in context
SAT Vocabulary Workbook
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Malice
A desire to do evil or to harm others; ill will toward someone.
nounCheck this word before you leave
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Imagine This
After the teacher gave Mark a detention, he thought of an evil plan; he told his friend, "I am going to put my lice into the teacher's hair."
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Sounds Like
MAL-iss
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Looks Like
Looks like: my lice (tiny white bugs cling to hair)
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Remember This
Malice denotes intentional harm or wickedness, stronger than mere meanness; related words include malicious and malign.
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Other Forms
maliciousadjective
maliciouslyadverb
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Connect With
ill will, spite, malevolence, malignity, hostility
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Note
Malice refers to a mental state of intent to cause harm. Do not confuse with 'malign' (to speak harmfully about someone) or 'malevolent' (having or showing a wish to do evil). Use with verbs like 'show' or 'toward'.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The villain acted out of malice, intending to hurt anyone who crossed him.
- The judge found malice in the defendant's conduct, not mere negligence.
Synonyms
ill willspitemalignitymalevolencevenom
Antonyms
benevolencegoodwillkindness
Etymology
From Old French malice, from Latin malitia, from malus 'bad'.
Mnemonic
MAL-ICE: Mal is bad, ice is cold; malice is cold-hearted bad intent.
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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Abasement
nounThe act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.
Absurdity
nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
Accolade
nounAn honor; a public expression of praise or an award.
Acrimony
nounBitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling
Acronym
nounA word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).
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