malevolent
Wishing others harm
Malevolent means wishing harm or evil toward others.
A malevolent glare conveys ill will; a malevolent force in a story actively seeks to cause suffering.
The word implies not just harmful actions but hostile intent—a malevolent person takes satisfaction in others' misfortune.
She sensed something malevolent in his smile.
Evil or slang-excellent
- sinisterThreateningly suggestive of harm
- nefariousExtremely evil or villainous
- vileExtremely unpleasant or bad
- diabolicalExtremely wicked or cruel
demonic · satanic · fiendish · villainous · depraved · corrupt · iniquitous · heinous
Fearful anticipation of harm
- sinisterThreateningly suggestive of harm
- threateningExpressing intent to harm
- portentousOminously significant
- darkAbsence of light
dire · grim · inauspicious · ill-omened · fateful · shadowy · dreadful · macabre
Seeking harm from resentment
- vengefulWanting to harm back
- resentfulFeeling lingering ill will
- bitterSharp, unpleasant taste
- rancorousMarked by bitter resentment
grudging · petty · mean-spirited · hateful · ill-willed · acrimonious · vitriolic · venomous
Actively opposed or hostile
- menacingConveying threat or danger
- threateningExpressing intent to harm
- belligerentHostile and eager to clash
- aggressiveHostile and confrontational
inimical · adversarial · combative · hateful · wrathful · pugnacious · bellicose · warlike
Savagely harsh or severe
- mercilessShowing no clemency
- sadisticFinding pleasure in cruelty
- heartlessLacking pity or mercy
- ruthlessLacking any compassion
callous · pitiless · vicious · savage · cold-blooded · barbaric · inhumane · monstrous
Causing severe harm
- injuriousCausing physical harm
- toxicCapable of causing harm
- poisonousCapable of causing death
- noxiousHarmful, especially when inhaled
deleterious · lethal · deadly · ruinous · baneful · detrimental · damaging · corrupting
wicked
Evil or slang-excellent
- sinisterThreateningly suggestive of harm
- nefariousExtremely evil or villainous
- vileExtremely unpleasant or bad
diabolical · demonic · satanic · fiendish · villainous · depraved · corrupt · iniquitous · heinous · malign
foreboding
Fearful anticipation of harm
- sinisterThreateningly suggestive of harm
- threateningExpressing intent to harm
- portentousOminously significant
dark · dire · grim · inauspicious · ill-omened · fateful · shadowy · dreadful · macabre · eerie
vindictive
Seeking harm from resentment
rancorous · grudging · petty · mean-spirited · hateful · ill-willed · acrimonious · vitriolic · venomous · scornful
antagonistic
Actively opposed or hostile
- menacingConveying threat or danger
- threateningExpressing intent to harm
- belligerentHostile and eager to clash
aggressive · inimical · adversarial · combative · hateful · wrathful · pugnacious · bellicose · warlike · truculent
brutal
Savagely harsh or severe
ruthless · callous · pitiless · vicious · savage · cold-blooded · barbaric · inhumane · monstrous · beastly
destructive
Causing severe harm
noxious · deleterious · lethal · deadly · ruinous · baneful · detrimental · damaging · corrupting · blighting
- cold-heartedcallous, cold, cold-blooded, cold-hearted, cruel
- dark sideinner demons, shadow self, dark thoughts, inner demon, secret self
- moral judgmentsgood, evil, wicked, virtuous, moral
- SAT vocabularyaesthetic, ambiguous, candid, concise, diligent
- wickedevil, wicked, villainous, sinister, nefarious
- Mysticalethereal, otherworldly, supernatural, numinous, transcendent
malevolentbenevolent
Desiring others' welfare
kindhearted · warmhearted · benign · kind · well-meaning
malevolentbenevolent
Desiring others' welfare
good · noble · virtuous · magnanimous · high-minded
- malevolent spiritsHarmful supernatural beings
- malevolent ghostHarmful supernatural entity