Malevolent was taken into English directly from the Latin malevolens "ill-disposed, spiteful," which paired male with volens, the present participle of a verb meaning "to wish." In Latin, the combination literally …

Add to word list causing or wanting to cause harm or evil: a malevolent juvenile delinquent (Definition of malevolent from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

MALEVOLENT definition: wishing evil or harm to another or others; showing ill will; ill-disposed; malicious. See examples of malevolent used in a sentence.

Factsheet What does the word malevolent mean? There are six meanings listed in OED's entry for the word malevolent, three of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, …

1. Having or exhibiting ill will; wishing harm to others; malicious. 2. Having a harmful influence: malevolent stars.

Definition of malevolent adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

A malevolent person deliberately tries to cause harm or evil. Her stare was malevolent.

Dec 10, 2025 · malevolent (comparative more malevolent, superlative most malevolent) Having or displaying ill will; wishing harm on others. quotations

Her reputation has been hurt by malevolent [= malicious] gossip.

If someone is malevolent, they wish evil on others. If you find yourself approaching someone with a malevolent look in her eye, best to run the other way.