Synonyms for vicious
ˈvɪʃ əs

Princeton's WordNet(4.40 / 5 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. barbarous, brutal, cruel, fell, roughshod, savage, vicious(adj)

   (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering

   "a barbarous crime"; "brutal beatings"; "cruel tortures"; "Stalin's roughshod treatment of the kulaks"; "a savage slap"; "vicious kicks"

   Synonyms:
   wild, uncivilized, fierce, savage, deplorable, reprehensible, fell, beastly, unrelenting, venomous, criminal, brute(a), condemnable, roughshod, barbaric, evil, feral, cruel, poisonous, barbarous, furious, ferocious, barbarian, heavy-handed, brutish, bestial, brutal, ferine, uncivilised

   Antonyms:
   unmalicious, humane, right, virtuous

2. evil, vicious(adj)

   having the nature of vice

   Synonyms:
   malefic, savage, deplorable, reprehensible, fell, venomous, criminal, evil, condemnable, roughshod, malign, malevolent, cruel, barbarous, poisonous, brutal

   Antonyms:
   humane, right, virtuous, unmalicious

3. condemnable, criminal, deplorable, reprehensible, vicious(adj)

   bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure

   "a criminal waste of talent"; "a deplorable act of violence"; "adultery is as reprehensible for a husband as for a wife"

   Synonyms:
   felonious, savage, reprehensible, fell, pitiful, venomous, criminal, miserable, lamentable, deplorable, roughshod, evil, cruel, barbarous, poisonous, woeful, condemnable, wretched, distressing, execrable, brutal, sorry, sad

   Antonyms:
   humane, unmalicious, virtuous, right

4. poisonous, venomous, vicious(adj)

   marked by deep ill will; deliberately harmful

   "poisonous hate"; "venomous criticism"; "vicious gossip"

   Synonyms:
   virulent, toxicant, deplorable, savage, barbarous, reprehensible, fell, venomous, criminal, condemnable, roughshod, cruel, poisonous, evil, deadly, brutal

   Antonyms:
   right, humane, unmalicious, virtuous

English Synonyms and Antonyms(2.33 / 3 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. vicious

   Every criminal act is illegal or unlawful, but illegal or unlawful acts may not be criminal. Offenses against public law are criminal; offenses against private rights are merely illegal or unlawful. As a general rule, all acts punishable by fine or imprisonment or both, are criminal in view of the law. It is illegal for a man to trespass on another's land, but it is not criminal; the trespasser is liable to a civil suit for damages, but not to indictment, fine, or imprisonment. A felonious act is a criminal act of an aggravated kind, which is punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary or by death. A flagitious crime is one that brings public odium. Vicious refers to the indulgence of evil appetites, habits, or passions; vicious acts are not necessarily criminal, or even illegal; we speak of a vicious horse. That which is iniquitous, i. e., contrary to equity, may sometimes be done under the forms of law. Ingratitude is sinful, hypocrisy is wicked, but neither is punishable by human law; hence, neither is criminal or illegal. Compare SIN.

   Synonyms:
   abominable, criminal, culpable, felonious, flagitious, guilty, illegal, immoral, iniquitous, nefarious, sinful, unlawful, vile, wicked, wrong

   Antonyms:
   innocent, just, lawful, legal, meritorious, moral, right, virtuous

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. vicious

   Synonyms:
   corrupt, faulty, defective, bad, morbid, peccant, debased, profligate, unruly, impure, depraved

   Antonyms:
   pure, sound, perfect, virtuous, healthy

Dictionary of English Synonymes(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. vicious(a.)

   Synonyms:
   faulty, defective, imperfect

2. vicious(a.)

   Synonyms:
   wicked, mischievous, depraved, immoral, sinful, corrupt, unprincipled, abandoned, demoralized, bad, worthless, profligate

3. vicious(a.)

   Synonyms:
   unruly, refractory, contrary

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. vicious(a)

   Synonyms:
   immoral, evil, defective, faulty, imperfect, refractory, unruly, unmanageable, foul, noxious, malignant, hateful

PPDB, the paraphrase database(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these paraphrases:

1. List of paraphrases for "vicious":

   malignant, brutal, malicious, evil, ruthless, fierce, infernal, cruel, perverse, heinous, merciless, wave, stealthy, ferocious, virulent, violent, sadistic, wicked

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How to use vicious in a sentence?

1. Dave Barry:

   Most married couples, even though they love each other very much in theory, tend to view each other in practice as large teeming flaw colonies, the result being that they get on each other's nerves and regularly erupt into vicious emotional shouting matches over such issues as toaster settings.

2. Diana Graber:

   I think that's anxiety-ridden, because you get likes based on how many friends you have, and you have to keep posting things to get more friends and it's like a vicious circle.

3. Ernest Bai Koroma:

   This is the festive season where Sierra Leoneans often celebrate with families in a flamboyant and joyous manner but all must be reminded that our country is at war with a vicious enemy.

4. Donald Trump:

   Look at the war in Iraq and the mess that we’re in, i would never have handled it that way…Two minutes after we leave, there’s going to be a revolution, and the meanest, toughest, smartest, most vicious guy will take over. And he’ll have weapons of mass destruction, which Saddam [Hussein] didn’t have.

5. Thomas Paine:

   Human nature is not of itself vicious.

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