Malevolence
— ill will; evil intent
Malevolence means the quality of wishing evil or harm to others — a deep-seated ill will and desire to cause suffering. It describes not just bad behavior, but a genuinely malicious intent behind it.
Malevolence is darker than hostility or anger. An angry person lashes out in the moment; a malevolent person harbors a sustained, calculated wish to see others suffer. A malevolent glare, a malevolent scheme, or an act of pure malevolence all suggest a cold, deliberate desire to do harm — evil not as impulse, but as intention.
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Memory Mnemonic
MALE VIOLENCE
The keyword MALE VIOLENCE comes from how Malevolence sounds when spoken aloud. This pronunciation connection makes it easy to recall the keyword whenever you hear or see the word.
Memory Link
The MALE showed extreme VIOLENCE—full of ill will and evil intent toward everyone!
Picture a MALE radiating extreme VIOLENCE — not random anger, but cold, calculated ill will and evil intent directed at everyone around him. Visualise the darkness in his expression, the deliberate cruelty in his actions, the sustained desire to cause suffering. That deep, intentional wish to harm others is malevolence.
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Usage Examples
- The malevolence in his eyes was unmistakable as he described his plans for revenge.
- The fairy tale villain was driven by pure malevolence, seeking to destroy everything good in the kingdom.
- Investigators attributed the cyberattack to malevolence rather than negligence — it was deliberately destructive.
- The dictator's malevolence toward his own people was documented in thousands of pages of testimony.
- She sensed a quiet malevolence behind his polite words, as if he were planning something harmful.
Etymology of Malevolence
From Latin malevolentia, meaning "ill will" or "bad disposition," from malevolens (wishing evil), from male (badly, ill) + volens (wishing), present participle of velle (to wish). The word entered English in the 15th century and has always described a deep, intentional desire to cause harm to others.
Synonyms & Antonyms of Malevolence
Synonyms
Antonyms
Common Collocations with Malevolence
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