malicious

/məˈlɪʃəs/ (bre, ipa) · /məˈlɪʃəs/ (ame, ipa) · /mə-ˈli-shəs/ (ame, mw)

malicious — 形容詞

  • maliciouspositive
  • more maliciouscomparative
  • most malicioussuperlative

1. done with the clear purpose of hurting someone or causing them trouble, whether

1.形容詞B2
釋義

惡意的

意圖傷害或使他人難過的

done with the clear purpose of hurting someone or causing them trouble, whether through words or through actions

例句

Yasmin spread a malicious rumor about her coworker, hoping to damage his reputation.

Yasmin 散布了一則關於同事的惡意謠言，希望損害他的名聲。

collocation: malicious rumor

The anonymous online post was full of malicious lies aimed at hurting the family.

那篇匿名網路貼文充滿了惡意的謊言，目的是要傷害那家人。

同義詞
  • spiteful

    Focuses on petty, small-minded meanness that comes from personal hurt feelings; less formal than malicious

  • vindictive

    Specifically describes a desire for revenge or payback after a perceived wrong, not just general ill will

  • malevolent

    More formal and dramatic, suggesting an inherent evil nature rather than a single harmful act

反義詞
  • benevolent

    Shows kindness and goodwill toward others, the direct opposite of ill intent

  • kind

    Describes warm, considerate behavior rather than hurtful or harmful actions

用法筆記

Commonly describes nouns about speech or writing (gossip, rumor, remark, post) as well as nouns about harmful purpose (intent, purpose). Does not describe accidental harm or damage caused by natural events.

常見錯誤

❌The wind caused malicious damage to the roof during the storm.
✅The wind caused serious damage to the roof during the storm.
💡Malicious describes intentional harm by people, not damage from natural events.

2. built or deployed with the goal of harming a machine or network, or of stealing

2.形容詞B2
釋義

惡意程式

設計來破壞電腦系統或竊取資料的

built or deployed with the goal of harming a machine or network, or of stealing sensitive information

例句

Ayesha's email account was hacked after she clicked a malicious link.

Ayesha 的電子郵件帳號在點擊了一個惡意連結後遭到駭客入侵。

collocation: malicious link

Daichi accidentally downloaded malicious software that encrypted all his personal files.

Daichi 不小心下載了惡意軟體，導致他所有的個人檔案都被加密。

collocation: malicious software

同義詞
  • harmful

    Broader meaning that covers any kind of damage, not specific to computing

  • destructive

    Emphasizes the damaging effect rather than the intention behind it

反義詞
  • safe

    Describes a file or link that will not damage the user's system

  • benign

    Often used in computing to describe harmless programs or files

用法筆記

Used almost exclusively in computing and cybersecurity contexts. The shortened form malware (a blend of malicious and software) is more common in everyday tech news.

常見錯誤

❌I think my boss sent me a malicious email because he was angry.
✅I think my boss sent me an angry email.
💡In computing, malicious describes software or code designed to harm systems, not the emotional tone of a personal message.