Ma‐li″cious (?), a. [Of. malicius, F. malicieux, fr. L. malitiosus. See Malice.] 1. Indulging or exercising malice; harboring ill will or enmity.
I grant him bloody,...
Sudden, malicious, smacking of every sin
That has a name. Shak.
2. Proceeding from hatred or ill will; dictated by malice; as, a malicious report; malicious mischief.
3. (Law) With wicked or mischievous intentions or motives; wrongful and done intentionally without just cause or excuse; as, a malicious act.
Malicious abandonment, the desertion of a wife or husband without just cause. Burrill. — Malicious mischief(Law), malicious injury to the property of another; — an offense at common law. Wharton. — Malicious prosecutionorarrest(Law), a wanton prosecution or arrest, by regular process in a civil or criminal proceeding, without probable cause. Bouvier.
Syn. — Ill-disposed; evil-minded; mischievous; envious; malevolent; invidious; spiteful; bitter; malignant; rancorous; malign.
— Ma‐li″cious‐ly, adv. — Ma‐li″cious‐ness, n.