vicious

adjective
UK: /ˈvɪʃ.əs/
US: /ˈvɪʃ.əs/

  1. Violent and cruel.

    1. The vicious dog bit the small child.
    2. He was a vicious dictator, ruling through fear and violence.

  2. Deliberately causing pain or suffering; malicious.

    1. She spread vicious rumors about her coworker.
    2. The article contained vicious personal attacks on the candidate's family.

  3. Used to describe something bad or severe.

    1. The storm brought vicious winds and heavy rain.
    2. The team suffered a vicious defeat, losing by a large margin.

  4. Involving immoral or illegal activities.

    1. The police are trying to stop the vicious drug trade.
    2. He became involved in a vicious circle of crime and poverty.

Synonyms

cruel violent malicious brutal savage wicked ferocious ruthless
vicious adverb

  1. In a violent or cruel manner.

    1. The dog barked viciously at the stranger.
    2. The politician was viciously attacked by the press during the scandal.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "vicious" in English means: Violent and cruel., Deliberately causing pain or suffering; malicious., Used to describe something bad or severe., Involving immoral or illegal activities..

The phonetic transcription of "vicious" is /ˈvɪʃ.əs/ in British English and /ˈvɪʃ.əs/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "vicious": cruel, violent, malicious, brutal, savage, wicked, ferocious, ruthless.

Example usage of "vicious": "The vicious dog bit the small child.". More examples on the page.