Vicious — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Vicious (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

1. extreme in degree, power, or effect

   "a vicious winter storm ripped through the region"

   similar: acute, almighty, blistering, deep, dreadful, excruciating, explosive, exquisite, fearful, fearsome, ferocious, fierce, frightful, furious, ghastly, hard, heavy, heavy-duty, hellacious, intense, intensive, keen, profound, terrible, vehement, violent
   related: accentuated, aggravated, concentrated, deepened, emphasized, enhanced, heightened, intensified, magnified, stressed, exhaustive, thorough, harsh, rigorous, severe
   opposite: light, moderate, soft
   near: feeble, weak, shallow, superficial, moderated, qualified, alleviated, eased, lightened, toned (down), abated, decreased, diminished, lessened, reduced, subdued

2. 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"

   similar: atrocious, barbaric, barbarous, brutal, brute, butcherly, cruel, fiendish, heartless, inhuman, inhumane, sadistic, savage, truculent, wanton, red in tooth and claw
   related: hard-hearted, ironhearted, merciless, pitiless, ruthless, stonyhearted, unfeeling, fell, ferocious, grim, bloodthirsty, cutthroat, murderous, sanguinary, sanguine, catty, despiteful, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, mean, nasty, spiteful, vindictive, draconian, draconic, hardhanded, harsh, heavy-handed, oppressive
   opposite: benign, benignant, compassionate, good-hearted, humane, kind, kindhearted, sympathetic, tenderhearted
   near: tender, warm, warmhearted, charitable, clement, lenient, merciful, pitying, pacific, peaceable, peaceful

3. not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable

   "a truly vicious person detested by almost everyone"

   similar: bad, dark, evil, immoral, iniquitous, nefarious, rotten, sinful, unethical, unlawful, unrighteous, unsavory, vile, villainous, wicked, wrong
   related: base, contemptible, despicable, dirty, disreputable, evil-minded, ignoble, ill, infernal, low, mean, snide, sordid, atrocious, cruel, infamous, nasty, blamable, blameworthy, censurable, objectionable, obscene, offensive, reprehensible, corrupt, debased, debauched, degenerate, depraved, dissolute, libertine, loose, low-minded, perverted, reprobate, scrofulous, sick, unhealthy, cursed, cussed, defiling, noxious, pernicious, pestilential, ugly, ungodly, unwholesome, banned, barred, condemned, discouraged, forbidden, illegal, interdicted, outlawed, prohibited, proscribed, unauthorized, unclean, disallowed, execrable, lousy, miserable, wretched, errant, erring, fallen, unprincipled, unscrupulous, improper, incorrect, indecent, indecorous, naughty, unbecoming, unseemly, vulgar, dishonest, dishonorable
   opposite: decent, ethical, good, honest, honorable, just, moral, right, righteous, sublime, upright, virtuous
   near: elevated, high, high-minded, law-abiding, legitimate, lofty, noble, principled, reputable, scrupulous, allowed, authorized, legal, licensed, permissible, permitted, approved, endorsed, sanctioned, abetted, encouraged, promoted, supported, clean, correct, decent, decorous, exemplary, proper, seemly, blameless, commendable, creditable, guiltless, chaste, immaculate, incorruptible, innocent, inoffensive, irreproachable, lily-white, perfect, pure, spotless, squeaky-clean, uncorrupted, unerring, unfallen, unobjectionable, venerable, white, wholesome, esteemed, respected, upstanding, worthy

4. violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition

   "a vicious dog that has already bitten several people"

   similar: fell, ferocious, fierce, grim, savage
   related: argumentative, assaultive, bellicose, belligerent, brawly, chippy, combative, confrontational, discordant, disputatious, feisty, gladiatorial, militant, pugnacious, scrappy, warlike, bare-knuckle, blood-and-guts, in-your-face, take-no-prisoners, contentious, quarrelsome, truculent, menacing, threatening, bestial, brute, inhuman, inhumane, barbaric, uncivilized, wild, heartless, implacable, merciless, pitiless, relentless, ruthless, unrelenting, wanton, bloodthirsty, bloody, homicidal, murdering, murderous, sanguinary, sanguine, rapacious, ravenous, voracious
   opposite: gentle, mild, unaggressive
   near: amicable, companionable, comradely, congenial, cordial, friendly, genial, hearty, warm, warmhearted, compliant, submissive, tame, benign, compassionate, kind, merciful, pacific, peaceable, peaceful, amiable, complaisant, obliging, human, humane, civilized, cultured

5. 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"

   similar: bad (slang), bitchy, catty, cruel, despiteful, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, mean, nasty, spiteful, virulent
   related: devious, scoundrelly, scurvy, snakelike, acrimonious, bitter, envious, jaundiced, jealous, rancorous, resentful, vindictive, vitriolic, contemptuous, deprecating, derogatory, disdainful, disparaging, mean-spirited, obnoxious, opprobrious, scornful, snide, snotty, unkind, unkindly, unloving, baleful, baneful, evil, harsh, hostile, inimical, acrid, caustic, poisonous, scathing, venomous
   opposite: benevolent, benign, benignant, loving, unmalicious
   near: compassionate, good, good-hearted, kind, kindhearted, kindly, sympathetic, warm, warmhearted, affable, agreeable, amiable, cordial, friendly, genial, gracious, nice, pleasant, affectionate, amorous, sweet, tender, tenderhearted, humane, altruistic, high-minded, humanitarian, magnanimous, noble, philanthropic