Vicious

Pronunciation: /ˈvɪʃəs/

Definitions of vicious

adjective describing a person or behavior that is deliberately cruel or violent

Example Sentences

A1 The dog was being vicious towards the mailman.

A2 The vicious storm caused damage to the town.

B1 The vicious rumors spread quickly throughout the office.

B2 The vicious attack left him with serious injuries.

C1 The politician used vicious tactics to discredit his opponent.

C2 The criminal had a reputation for being vicious in his crimes.

Examples of vicious in a Sentence

formal The vicious attack on the victim was captured on surveillance footage.

informal That dog is so vicious, I wouldn't want to go near it.

slang The gossip spreading about her was absolutely vicious.

figurative The competition in the business world can be vicious at times.

Grammatical Forms of vicious

• past tense: vicioused
• plural: viciouses
• comparative: more vicious
• superlative: most vicious
• present tense: vicious
• future tense: will be vicious
• perfect tense: have been vicious
• continuous tense: is being vicious
• singular: vicious
• positive degree: vicious
• infinitive: to be vicious
• gerund: viciousing
• participle: vicioused

Origin and Evolution of vicious

First Known Use: 0014 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'vicious' originated from the Latin word 'viciosus' which means full of faults or defects.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'vicious' evolved to encompass not just physical brutality, but also behavior that is cruel, harmful, or immoral.