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vicious - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'vicious' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Vicious [ a.]
- Characterized by vice or defects; defective; faulty; imperfect.
- Addicted to vice; corrupt in principles or conduct; depraved; wicked; as, vicious children; vicious examples; vicious conduct.
- Wanting purity; foul; bad; noxious; as, vicious air, water, etc.
- Not correct or pure; corrupt; as, vicious language; vicious idioms.
- Not well tamed or broken; given to bad tricks; unruly; refractory; as, a vicious horse.
- Bitter; spiteful; malignant.

Meaning of 'vicious' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . vicious [ s]
Meaning (1):
- (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
Example in sentence:
  • a barbarous crime;
  • a savage slap;
  • brutal beatings;
  • cruel tortures;
  • Stalin's roughshod treatment of the kulaks;
  • vicious kicks
Meaning (2):
- bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure
Example in sentence:
  • a criminal waste of talent;
  • a deplorable act of violence;
  • adultery is as reprehensible for a husband as for a wife
Meaning (3):
- marked by deep ill will; deliberately harmful
Example in sentence:
  • poisonous hate;
  • venomous criticism;
  • vicious gossip

Nearby Words:

vicar vicarage vicarial vicarian vicariate vicarious vicariously vicarship vicary vice

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