malice Hear it!

malice Definition

mal·ice (mal′is)

noun

  1. active ill will; desire to harm another or to do mischief; spite
  2. Law evil intent; state of mind shown by intention to do, or intentional doing of, something unlawful

Etymology: OFr < L malitia < malus, bad: see mal-

malice Idioms

malice aforethought

or malice prepense

a deliberate intention and plan to do something unlawful, as murder

malice Synonyms

malice

n.

spite, rancor, animosity, maliciousness, hate, ill-feeling, hostility, grudge, implacability, bitterness, antipathy, umbrage, repugnance, dislike, resentment, venom, acerbity, mordacity, malignance, malignity, bad blood, viciousness, pure cussedness*, dirt*, cat bite*; see also evil 1, hatred 1, 2.

Antonyms kindness*, benevolence*, goodness.

malice Law Definition

n

The state of mind of one intentionally performing a wrongful act.
constructive malice
Malice which can be imputed to the actor because of the nature of the acts committed and the result thereby.

malice Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • bear: I am unharmed: why should I bear malice?
  • transfer: Nor is it transferred malice, for there is no need of a transfer.
  • hold: Once again let me repeat, we do not hold any malice in our hearts against jews.
  • have: How unlikely is it the King's advocate should have malice against persons who commit murder, or should even know them at all.
  • prove: For instance, in the UK you do not have to prove malice, as you do in America.
  • feel: I don't feel no malice against you for it.

Preposition: against

person: How unlikely is it the King's advocate should have malice against persons who commit murder, or should even know them at all.

Converse of subject

  • motivate: The qualification on privilege refers to statements motivated by malice.
  • actuated: The defense of qualified privilege would not be available if the official receiver was actuated by express malice in making his/her report.
  • prompt: To make allegations that the Scunthorpe Health Authority were prompted by malice is equally absurd.

Adjective modifier

  • targeted: In the judge's opinion, this did not amount to a deliberate plan to use targeted malice to close the company.
  • sheer: The only way a film could be this poorly conceived is out of sheer malice.
  • real: O.K. , so we don't always see eye to eye but there's never been any real malice in our dealings before.
  • express: It ends with a plea of express malice against the first and second defendants.
  • constructive: Abolition of " constructive malice " in killings in course or furtherance of other offenses.
  • uninformed: Sometimes it feels more like the ' uninformed malice ' comes from the Republicans in the US.

Modifies a noun

cannot: That must be a complete action wherein malice cannot find fault.

Preposition: in

man: He had so much energy and so many decent thoughts, no malice in the man at all.

Preposition: of

  • Satan: The overthrow of the malice of Satan The example of the overthrow of Satan by the written Word is set by the Lord himself.
  • devil: We're in danger from the deadly malice of the devil.