1. Enmity of heart; malevolence; ill will; a spirit delighting in harm or misfortune to another; a disposition to injure another; a malignant design of evil. "Nor set down aught in malice." Shak. Envy, hatred, and malice are three distinct passions of the mind. Ld. Holt.
2. (Law)
Defn: Any wicked or mischievous intention of the mind; a depraved inclination to mischief; an intention to vex, annoy, or injure another person, or to do a wrongful act without just cause or cause or excuse; a wanton disregard of the rights or safety of others; willfulness. Malice aforethought or prepense, malice previously and deliberately entertained.
Syn. — Spite; ill will; malevolence; grudge; pique; bitterness; animosity; malignity; maliciousness; rancor; virulence. See Spite. — Malevolence, Malignity, Malignancy. Malice is a stronger word than malevolence, which may imply only a desire that evil may befall another, while malice desires, and perhaps intends, to bring it about. Malignity is intense and deepseated malice. It implies a natural delight in hating and wronging others. One who is malignant must be both malevolent and malicious; but a man may be malicious without being malignant. Proud tyrants who maliciously destroy And ride o'er ruins with malignant joy. Somerville. in some connections, malignity seems rather more pertinently applied to a radical depravity of nature, and malignancy to indications of this depravity, in temper and conduct in particular instances. Cogan.
MALICE
Mal"ice, v. t.
Defn: To regard with extreme ill will. [Obs.]
MALICHO
Mal"i*cho, n. Etym: [Sp. malhecho; mal bad + hecho deed, L. factum.
See Fact.]
Defn: Mischief. [Obs.] Shak.
MALICIOUS
Ma*li"cious, a. Etym: [Of. malicius, F. malicieux, fr. L. malitiosus.
See Malice.]
1. Indulging or exercising malice; harboring ill will or enmity. I grant him bloody, . . . Sudden, malicious, smacking of every sin That has a name. Shak.