Meaning & use
maliciously
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Meanings
adverbnot comparable
In a spiteful way, with the clear wish to hurt or upset another person.
Grammar: Goes before or after a verb: maliciously spread rumors; the act was done maliciously.
Patterns
- act maliciously
- maliciously spread something
Someone maliciously spread a rumor that she had cheated on the test.
He smiled maliciously as his rival dropped the tray.
The tires had been maliciously slashed overnight.
adverbnot comparablelegal
In a legal sense, with deliberate intent to cause harm or damage and without lawful excuse.
Grammar: Appears in legal wording such as maliciously wounding.
Patterns
- maliciously damage something
- maliciously wound someone
The man was charged with maliciously damaging his neighbor's car.
The report said the fire had been started maliciously.
Common combinations
- maliciously spread
- The group maliciously spread false stories about the new coach.
- maliciously damage
- Someone maliciously damaged the garden fence.
- smile maliciously
- She smiled maliciously when she heard of his failure.
- maliciously deleted
- A former employee maliciously deleted the customer records.
- maliciously intended
- The message was not maliciously intended, only careless.
Synonyms and how they differ
- spitefully
- Spitefully focuses on petty, personal resentment, while maliciously can describe a more serious wish to harm.
- viciously
- Viciously suggests savage force or cruelty, whereas maliciously stresses hidden ill will.
- wickedly
- Wickedly is broader and can even be playful, as in a wickedly funny joke, which maliciously never is.
- deliberately
- Deliberately only says the act was intended; maliciously adds that the aim was to cause harm.
Opposites
Word family
- malice noun
- the wish to hurt others
- malicious adjective
- meant to cause harm or pain
- malevolent adjective
- wishing evil on others, a close relative
Commonly confused: maliciously or maliciousness?
maliciously vs maliciousness
Maliciousness is the noun for the quality of being spiteful, while maliciously is the adverb describing how an action is done.
Practice
Which sentence shows an action done maliciously?
Choose one answer.
Maliciously requires a deliberate wish to hurt or upset, which only the password example shows. The other options describe accidents or forgetfulness.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “maliciously”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.