malice

plural malices

1. uncountableusuallyIntention to harm or deprive in an illegal or immoral way. Desire to take pleasure in another's misfortune.

   Your voice positively drips malice.

   2 more examples

   […] not only was there no gratitude (which he could psychologically handle) but downright malice showed itself instead.

   1981, Philip K. Dick, Valis, →ISBN, page 67

   without the slightest flutter of malice in her round face.

   2015, Catherynne M. Valente, The Boy Who Lost Fairyland, Feiwel & Friends, page 215

   Synonyms: evil, ill will, wickedness

2. uncountableusuallylawAn intention to do injury to another party, which in many jurisdictions is a distinguishing factor between the crimes of murder and manslaughter.

   The question that would have been before the jury was whether Fox committed “actual malice” in airing the claims. That required Dominion to show whether key decision makers were aware the claims were false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.

   2023 April 18, Sam Levine, Kira Lerner, “Fox and Dominion settle for US$787.5m in defamation lawsuit over election lies”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

present singular third person malices · participle present malicing · participle past maliced · past maliced

1. To intend to cause harm; to bear malice.

   I am so far from malicing their states, / That I begin to pity 'em.

   1599, Ben Jonson, Every Man out of His Humour, act 5, scene 2

   5 more examples

   Thou blinded God (quod I) forgive me this offence, / Unwittingly I went about, to malice thy pretence.

   1557, Henry Howard, “Complaint of a lover that defied Love and was by Love after the more tormented”, in Songes and Sonettes

   Who on the other ſide did ſeeme ſo farre / From malicing, or grudging his good houre, / That, all he could, he graced him with her, / Ne euer ſhewed ſigne of rancour or of iarre.

   1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, page 477

   His paines, his pouertie, his ſharpe aſſayes, / Through which he paſt his miſerable dayes, / Offending none, and doing good to all, / Yet being maliſt both of great and ſmall.

   1596, Edm[und] Spenser, “An Hymne of Heavenly Love”, in Fowre Hymnes, London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, page 32

   A feeble spirited king that governed, / Who ill could guide the sceptre he did use; / His enemies, that his worth maliced, / Who both the land and him did much abuse: / The peoples love; and his apparent right, May seem sufficient motives to incite.

   1609, Samuel Daniel, The History of the Civil Wars, book 5, verse 48

   Here's a list of side effects / Practice tested / Covering every maliced angle / For example: / You will sleep forever / You will never sleep again

   1995, Fugazi, “Fell, Destroyed”, in Red Medicine, performed by Guy Picciotto

   Synonyms: envy, grudge, spite