English Explanatory Dictionary

malevolent

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Having or displaying ill will; wishing harm on others.
  2. Having an evil or harmful influence.

Pronunciation

/məˈlɛvələnt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-malevolent.wav en-us-malevolent.ogg

Word forms

malevolent more malevolent most malevolent

Etymology

From Middle English *malevolent (suggested by Middle English malevolence), from Old French malivolent and Latin malevolentem, from male (“badly, wrongly”) + volens (“willing, wishing”), from velle (“to wish”).

Synonyms

maleficent malevolent sinister abandoned arrant bad bad apple bad seed baleful scurrilous baneful base black-hearted dark deleterious demonic depraved despicable detrimental devilish diabolical evil evil-minded facinorous flagitious harmful heinous ill-intentioned ill-natured immoral incorrigible iniquitous iniquous injurious knavish malefic malicious malign malignant naughty nefarious niddering nidering niding nithing no-good peccaminous pernicious reprehensible reprobate satanic scathful sinful sordid sullen ungodly unholy vicious vile villainous

Antonyms

benevolent

Related words

malevolence

Derived words

malevolently omnimalevolent unmalevolent
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