Meanings
comparative more maleficent · superlative most maleficent
- Harmful or evil in intent or effect.
maleficent power
4 more examples
maleficent influence
maleficent spirit
In the tale, a maleficent witch cursed the newborn princess.
The critic described the character’s smile as darkly maleficent.
Synonyms: maleficient, evil, malevolent, malicious, abandoned, arrant, bad, bad apple · Antonyms: beneficent, beneficial, benevolent, magnanimous
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveHarmful or evil in intent or effect.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveharmful or evil in intent or effect
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latin*maleficēns
- Englishmaleficent
From Latin *maleficēns, from male (“bad”) + -ficēns, combining form from faciēns, present participle of faciō (“to make or do”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian вре́ден
- вре́ден (vréden)harmful or evil in intent or effect
Catalan malfactor
- malfactorharmful or evil in intent or effect
Dutch kwaadaardig, boosaardig
- kwaadaardigharmful or evil in intent or effect
- boosaardigharmful or evil in intent or effect
- verderfelijkharmful or evil in intent or effect
- schadelijkharmful or evil in intent or effect
Esperanto malbonfarema
- malbonfaremaharmful or evil in intent or effect
Estonian kuritahtlik, kuritegelik
- kuritahtlikharmful or evil in intent or effect
- kuritegelikharmful or evil in intent or effect
- õelutsevharmful or evil in intent or effect
Finnish vahingollinen
- vahingollinenharmful or evil in intent or effect
French maléfique
- maléfiqueharmful or evil in intent or effect
Italian malefico, maligno
- maleficoharmful or evil in intent or effect
- malignoharmful or evil in intent or effect
Persian زیانبار, زیانبخش
- زیانبار (ziyânbâr)harmful or evil in intent or effect
- زیانبخش (ziyânbaxš)harmful or evil in intent or effect
Polish zbrodniczy, szkodliwy
- zbrodniczyharmful or evil in intent or effect
- szkodliwyharmful or evil in intent or effect
Portuguese maléfico
- maléficoharmful or evil in intent or effect
Russian вре́дный, вредоно́сный
- вре́дный (vrédnyj)harmful or evil in intent or effect
- вредоно́сный (vredonósnyj)harmful or evil in intent or effect
Spanish maléfico
- maléficoharmful or evil in intent or effect
Swedish ondsint, elakartad
- ondsintharmful or evil in intent or effect
- elakartadharmful or evil in intent or effect
- ondskefullharmful or evil in intent or effect
- illasinnadharmful or evil in intent or effect
Ukrainian згубний, злочинний
- згубний (zhubnyj)harmful or evil in intent or effect
- злочинний (zločynnyj)harmful or evil in intent or effect
- пагубний (pahubnyj)harmful or evil in intent or effect
- шкідливий (škidlyvyj)harmful or evil in intent or effect
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
maleficent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maleficent
“maleficent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maleficent. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “maleficent,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maleficent.
Source: maleficent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.