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. Donald Trump:

   This guy Lindsey Graham, he's one of the dumbest human beings I have ever seen, he starts hitting me, saying vicious things, ends up with 0%. He left in disgrace.

2. 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.

3. Richard Ladkani:

   This is a vicious circle where people get more indebted, this one fisherman wound up owing the cartels $54,000 for 18 nets. He tried to get out, he finally came out and said there is no way I can repay the cartel. He was murdered.

4. President Barack Obama:

   We've heard silence from too many of our leaders, too often, we've accepted this as the new normal. It's worth asking ourselves what each of us may have done to contribute to this kind of vicious atmosphere in our politics.

5. Many Democrats:

   As a lower middle class American, budget and finances sometimes -- living paycheck to paycheck is very hard, and it's a toxic world that has set us into this cycle of vicious debt. I think that Warren has great ideas about how to get us out of that.