vicious
/ˈvɪʃəs/ adjective, proper noun
Forms viciouser viciousest vitious
- adjective Violent, destructive and cruel.
- adjective Savage and aggressive.
- adjective (archaic) Pertaining to vice; characterised by immorality or depravity.
- proper noun A surname.
Synonyms
scathy barbarous brutal cruel fell roughshod savage evil condemnable criminal deplorable reprehensible poisonous venomous
Etymology
From Middle English vicious, from Anglo-Norman vicious, (modern French vicieux), from Latin vitiōsus, from vitium (“fault, vice”). Equivalent to vice + -ous.
Originally a nickname for a vicious person.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Characterized by vice or defects; defective; faulty; imperfect.
- adjective Addicted to vice; corrupt in principles or conduct; depraved; wicked; as, vicious children; vicious examples; vicious conduct.
Etymology [OF. vicious, F. vicieux, fr. L. vitiosus, fr. vitium vice. See Vice a fault.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “vicious”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details