Word
viciously
Phoneticsvi·cious·ly
US/ˈvɪʃəsɫi/
UK/vˈɪʃəsli/
Definition
adv. in a very cruel, violent, or angry way. You use this to describe someone who attacks or treats others with great force and no mercy.
adv. in a manner characterized by extreme cruelty, violence, or malice. Often used to describe physical attacks or harsh verbal criticism.
Examples
“The dog barked viciously at the stranger.”
“The politician criticized his opponent viciously during the debate, making several personal attacks that were widely condemned.”
“The storm raged viciously across the coast, tearing down ancient trees and leaving a trail of destruction that would take months to repair.”
Examples
simple
“The dog barked viciously at the stranger.”
contextual
“The politician criticized his opponent viciously during the debate, making several personal attacks that were widely condemned.”
complex
“The storm raged viciously across the coast, tearing down ancient trees and leaving a trail of destruction that would take months to repair.”
Etymology
From Middle English viciously; equivalent to vicious + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.