Aug 16 MALICIOUS adj.
An interesting word with negative connotations.When analysed into its morphemes we see:
mal(e)+ic(e)+ous. The base is bound coming from the Latin root malus meaning bad or ill.The vowel suffixes force changes to the single silent e letter in the final position of the base and the suffix-ice. The vowel suffix -ous indicates this word is an adjective so the word can apply to an action or a person and suggests that there is a deliberate intention to do harm.
Other words sharing this base are: malnutrition, malevolent, maladapted, and malaria. The synonyms that appear to be closest in meaning to this word are malevolent, wicked and spiteful. Mischievous is suggested as a synonym but it does not seem strong enough or as determinedly wicked. The antonym for this word is benevolent and the well wishing and positive intentions of benevolence so oppositional to the spitefulness in malicious.
Illustration of Loki from a 1760 Icelandic manuscript by Ólafur Brynjúlfsson.
Loki illustrates the idea of malice. Initially a mischievious trickster he becomes darker and more malevolent with the
malicious killing of Baldr.
