vicious

CEFRB2

/ˈvɪʃəs/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Violent, cruel, or dangerous.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Pertaining to vice; characterised by immorality or depravity.

Examples

  • The answer leads us to a vicious circle.

  • The rubber band broke with a vicious snap.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
1
Citations
3

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Savage and aggressive.

  2. Violent, destructive and cruel.

More examples

In context

  • We may so seize on vertue, that if we embrace it with an over-greedy and violent desire, it may become vicious.

  • Admiral Crawford was a man of vicious conduct, who chose, instead of retaining his niece, to bring his mistress under his own roof

  • A murrain on you, Reverend Apse/I hope you get caught in a vicious moral lapse.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The blank dog from next door bit the mailman twice without any reason.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English vicious, from Anglo-Norman vicious, (modern French vicieux), from Latin vitiōsus, from vitium (“fault, vice”). Equivalent to vice + -ous.