intent to harm
Desire to injure
Intent to harm is the deliberate purpose to cause injury, damage, or suffering to another person or thing.
In legal contexts, it establishes culpability—distinguishing accidental harm from harmful acts done knowingly: The prosecution must prove intent to harm.
The phrase appears in criminal law, restraining orders, and policies governing threats: She was fired for demonstrating intent to harm a coworker.
- maliceIntent to cause harm
- ill willHostile or unfriendly feeling
- assaultViolent offensive act
- crueltyDeliberate harm-causing disposition
- premeditationAdvance planning of action
cold blood · violence · battery · maiming · spite · bad faith · poisoning · predatory · mens rea · sabotage · malicious mischief · gaslighting · coercion · vindictiveness · manipulation · hostility · torture · aggression
- criminal intentmens rea, guilty mind, malice aforethought, premeditation, mental state
intent to harmaccident
Unintended harmful event
negligence · accidental harm · inadvertence · lack of intent · carelessness
intent to harmbenevolence
Disposition toward doing good
goodwill · compassion · kindness · love · mercy