ENGLISH
REFERENCE

maleficent

adj.
C1 Advanced malef·i·cent

adj. describing someone or something that is very harmful, cruel, or evil. You use this to talk about people who do bad things on purpose or things that cause a lot of damage.

adj. causing harm, evil, or suffering; wicked. Often used to describe individuals with malicious intent or forces that produce significant negative consequences.


SIMPLE

The movie features a maleficent villain who wants to destroy the world.

CONTEXTUAL

The storm was so maleficent that it caused widespread damage to the coastal towns within hours.

COMPLEX

The novel explores the maleficent nature of the protagonist, whose calculated manipulation of those around him leads to a series of tragic and irreversible consequences.

Antonyms
Origin

Latin *maleficēns, from male (“bad”) + -ficēns, combining form from faciēns, present participle of faciō (“to make or do”).

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