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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 His oldest son, Rigby, was about to start high school, which filled Flanagan with dread about the viciousness that might await him. — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 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 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

The Court finds Defendant could not have responded to these instances of 'actual malice' in the First Amended Complaint, as they were not framed as such.

— Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
In October, a Newton County grand jury indicted 43-year-old Taiesha Wilson on charges of malice murder, murder, concealing the death of another, identity theft, and more.

— Dan Raby, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of malice

Noun

Christopher Stefanou of Long Island is charged with animal cruelty and breaking rules about shark fishing, Cape & Islands District Attorney Robert Galibois said Wednesday.

— Neal Riley, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Florida House Bill 559 recently created new guidelines to address animal cruelty across the state, including by allowing municipalities to increase fines and penalties.

— Joshua Ceballos, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of cruelty

Noun

After weighing a few options, the team settled on scorpion antivenom, a costly treatment that can be difficult to produce, often involving injecting venom into horses.

— Robert Hart, The Verge, 22 Oct. 2026
Existing antivenoms are generally produced by immunizing animals, including horses, with venom and extracting antibodies from their blood.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of venom

Noun

Dupuy-Spencer had a reputation for clear-eyed renderings of both the tenderness and the brutality of our world; here, darker forces prevail.

— Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
However, Gates, who resigned in the wake of the 1992 LA Riots, was also viewed as leaving a legacy of police brutality and racial tension.

— Tom Wait, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of brutality

Noun

The rioters waved the Confederate flag, a clear symbol of racist hatred.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
At least one person was killed and four people were injured in a shooting near Paris that may have been motivated by Islamophobic hatred, French officials say.

— Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 23 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of viciousness

noun

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