Word
maliciously
Phoneticsma·li·cious·ly
US/məˈɫɪʃɪsɫi/
UK/mɐlˈɪʃəsli/
Definition
adv. in a way that is mean, cruel, or intended to hurt someone. You use this to describe actions that are not just bad, but done on purpose to cause trouble.
adv. in a manner intended to cause harm, injury, or distress to another person or thing. Often implies a deliberate and spiteful intent.
Examples
“He maliciously spread false rumors about his neighbor.”
“The software was designed to delete files maliciously, causing significant data loss for the company.”
“The witness testified that the defendant acted maliciously, not out of necessity, but to ensure that the rival business would fail before the new season began.”
Examples
simple
“He maliciously spread false rumors about his neighbor.”
contextual
“The software was designed to delete files maliciously, causing significant data loss for the company.”
complex
“The witness testified that the defendant acted maliciously, not out of necessity, but to ensure that the rival business would fail before the new season began.”
Real-World Examples
“Reward animations are exaggerated to feed your lizard brain with dopamine, satirising the reward loops that make other games feel like a visit to a casino – some more maliciously than others .” “But concerns have already been raised that the same technology could be used maliciously to create new diseases.” Etymology
From Middle English maliciousli; equivalent to malicious + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.