Meaning & use

malefic

adjective·Advanced

Having or showing an intent to cause harm or evil; malevolent in nature or effect.

See it in a sentence

The story's villain was driven by a malefic desire to see the kingdom fall.

Ancient astrologers described certain planetary alignments as malefic, bringing misfortune to those born under them.

A note on using this word

Malefic is literary and somewhat rare in everyday speech; it appears most often in fiction, astrology, and formal writing about evil intent.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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