vicious
12 synonyms and 4 antonyms for vicious, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Deliberately cruel, violent, or savage.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
How to use vicious
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
vicious attack
vicious cycle
vicious rumour
Etymology
From Latin vitiosus, "faulty, corrupt," from vitium, "fault, vice."
Full origin of vicious →Frequently asked questions
What does “vicious” mean?
The word “vicious” means deliberately cruel, violent, or savage. In plain terms, cruel and aggressive, often violently so.
How do you pronounce “vicious”?
“Vicious” is pronounced VIH-shuhs (/ˈvɪʃəs/ in IPA).
How do you use “vicious” in a sentence?
Here is “vicious” used in a sentence: “The dog launched a vicious attack on the mail carrier.”
What is another word for “vicious”?
Words with a similar meaning to “vicious” include scathy.
What part of speech is “vicious”?
“Vicious” is an adjective.
Where does the word “vicious” come from?
The word “vicious” comes from Latin. From Latin vitiosus, "faulty, corrupt," from vitium, "fault, vice.".
Is “vicious” a common word?
“Vicious” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.
What is the difference between 'vicious' and 'violent'?
'Violent' describes physical force or aggression in general, while 'vicious' adds a sense of deliberate cruelty or savagery to that behavior. A vicious act is not just forceful but intentionally brutal or malicious.
Can 'vicious' be used for things other than attacks, like rumors or cycles?
Yes, 'vicious' commonly describes non-physical things that are cruel or harmful, such as a vicious rumor, a vicious insult, or a vicious cycle. In these uses it still carries the core idea of deliberate cruelty or destructiveness.
What is a 'vicious circle' or 'vicious cycle'?
A vicious circle (or cycle) is a situation where one problem causes another problem, which in turn makes the first problem worse, repeating endlessly. The word 'vicious' here reflects how harmful and self-perpetuating the pattern is.
