Synonyms for vicious
ˈvɪʃ əsvi·cious

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.3 / 3 votes

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 AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. vicious

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

   Antonyms:
   pure, sound, perfect, virtuous, healthy

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:4.4 / 5 votes

1. barbarous, brutal, cruel, fell, roughshod, savage, viciousadjective

   (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, viciousadjective

   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, viciousadjective

   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, viciousadjective

   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

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. viciousadjective

   Synonyms:
   faulty, defective, imperfect

2. viciousadjective

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

3. viciousadjective

   Synonyms:
   unruly, refractory, contrary

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. viciousadjective

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

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "vicious":

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

Suggested Resources

1. vicious

   Song lyrics by vicious -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by vicious on the Lyrics.com website.

2. Vicious

   Vicious vs. Viscous -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Vicious and Viscous.

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How to use vicious in a sentence?

1. Joanne Cantor:

   Children at a very young age think that what's on the screen is actually there, if a vicious beast is coming toward them on screen, a young child is going to be scared.

2. Joe Bruno:

   We never thought this would happen to our family, and it did, this virus is really unforgiving and just attacks in really vicious ways.

3. Francois Savary:

   There had been fears about the bond market blowing up, but for the time being there's a return to normal correlation in the market, so we don't see a vicious cycle where bonds bring down equities and equities brings down bonds.

4. Diana Graber:

   It's almost like a little competition for the number of likes, 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.

5. Chinese:

   The man of first rate excellence is virtuous in spite of instruction; he of the middle class is so after instruction; the lowest order of men are vicious in spite of instruction.