vicious
gb/vˈɪʃəs/ us/vˈɪʃəs/
B2
Anglais
~ 6400
Sens
0 sens
adjective
B2
property
1
cruel and likely to hurt
Very cruel and dangerous, and likely to hurt people or animals badly.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone/something] is vicious
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse "vicious" with "viscous". "Vicious" describes cruelty or violence; "viscous" describes a thick, sticky liquid. Learners may also overuse "vicious" to mean just "angry"; it is stronger and usually suggests someone is ready to seriously hurt others.
Synonymes
brutal (Emphasizes extreme physical cruelty or violence, often with no feeling or pity.)
|
savage (Suggests wild, uncontrolled violence; slightly more dramatic or literary.)
Antonymes
gentle (Describes someone or something calm and not likely to hurt others.)
|
harmless (Stresses that something will not cause physical injury or danger.)
Collocations
vicious dog
|vicious attack
|vicious beating
|vicious assault
|vicious thug
|vicious criminal
Thèmes
crime
|violence
|people
|emotions
|animals
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The police finally caught the vicious gang that had been terrorizing the neighborhood.
- A vicious dog jumped the fence and attacked the mail carrier.
- The victim was left with serious injuries after a vicious assault outside the club.
- He developed a reputation as a vicious fighter in the ring.
- Witnesses described the beating as vicious and completely unprovoked.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The man is very vicious and often hurts people.
- A vicious dog bit the child in the park.
- They were afraid of the vicious gang on the street.
- She was the victim of a vicious attack late at night.
- The fighter became more vicious as the match went on.
adjective
B2
property
2
extremely unkind and hurtful
Very mean and cruel in what you say or write, so that it really hurts another person.
Schéma d’usage :
a vicious [remark/rumor/attack] about [someone]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes think "vicious" here just means "very strong" or "angry." In this sense, it also includes a clear intention to hurt someone emotionally or damage their name. For simply "strong criticism," "harsh" or "severe" may be more neutral choices.
Synonymes
malicious (Focuses on the desire to harm or hurt someone, especially by words or actions done on purpose.)
|
spiteful (Emphasizes small, mean actions or words done because of anger or jealousy.)
Antonymes
kind (Describes behavior or words that are gentle and caring rather than hurtful.)
|
supportive (Stresses words or actions that help and encourage someone instead of attacking them.)
Collocations
vicious rumor
|vicious comment
|vicious personal attack
|vicious smear campaign
|vicious insult
Thèmes
emotions
|communication
|conflict
|relationships
Exemples
- She received a stream of vicious comments after the article went online.
- The tabloid published a vicious attack on the actor’s private life.
- He started a vicious rumor about his coworker to ruin her chances of promotion.
- Their divorce turned ugly, with both sides making vicious accusations.
- Online trolls left vicious messages on her social media page.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He made a vicious comment about her weight.
- Someone started a vicious rumor about the teacher.
- The article was a vicious attack on the company.
- Her ex wrote a vicious post about her online.
- They exchanged vicious emails during the argument.
adjective
B2
property
3
extremely severe or dangerous
Very strong in a bad way, causing a lot of pain, damage, or difficulty.
Schéma d’usage :
a vicious [storm/headache/fight]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may overuse "vicious" where "bad" or "strong" is enough. "Vicious" suggests something is not only strong but also very harmful or hard to bear. Do not use it for positive intensity (e.g., not *"a vicious party"*).
Synonymes
ferocious (Often used for storms, attacks, or fights that are extremely violent or intense.)
|
intense (More general and neutral, used for strong pain, emotion, or activity; less emotive than "vicious.")
Antonymes
mild (Describes pain, illness, weather, or conflict that is not strong or serious.)
Collocations
vicious storm
|vicious headache
|vicious fight
|vicious flu
|vicious cold
Thèmes
health
|weather
|danger
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- A vicious storm swept across the coast, knocking out power to thousands of homes.
- I've had a vicious headache all morning and can hardly concentrate.
- He caught a vicious flu that kept him in bed for over a week.
- The two players got into a vicious fight on the field.
- Traffic was a vicious mess after the accident on the bridge.
Exemples pédagogiques
- A vicious storm hit the city last night.
- She woke up with a vicious headache.
- He had a vicious cold and stayed home from work.
- There was a vicious fight outside the club.
- The team faced a vicious schedule of games this month.
adjective
formal
C2
property
4
morally bad or full of vice
Morally very bad, with habits or a way of life that people think are wrong or evil.
Schéma d’usage :
a vicious [habit/lifestyle/character]
Erreur fréquente :
This formal, moral sense is less common today and can sound old-fashioned. Learners may try to use "vicious" for any bad habit; in modern English, "unhealthy" or "bad" is more usual unless strong moral judgment is intended.
Synonymes
immoral (General term for not following accepted moral rules; less emotionally loaded than "vicious.")
|
depraved (Stronger; suggests deeply corrupt or evil moral character.)
Antonymes
virtuous (Describes someone with high moral standards and good behavior.)
|
upright (Stresses honest and morally correct behavior.)
Collocations
vicious lifestyle
|vicious habits
|vicious character
|vicious behavior
Thèmes
ethics
|religion
|society
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The novel portrays a vicious society in which corruption is rewarded.
- He struggled for years to free himself from vicious habits.
- The preacher warned the congregation about the dangers of a vicious lifestyle.
- They saw the gambling ring as part of a wider and more vicious criminal culture.
Exemples pédagogiques
- They said he lived a vicious life full of crime.
- The book shows a vicious city where no one is honest.
- He tried to stop his vicious habits and start again.
- Some people think gambling is a vicious activity.
Grammaire
Expressions
vicious circle
1/vˈɪʃəs sˈɚkəl/
idiom
self-worsening problem loop
A bad situation in which one problem causes another problem, and together they keep making the whole situation worse again and again.
Exemples
- Poverty and poor health can create a vicious circle.
- Many families are trapped in a vicious circle of poverty and poor education.
- They are trapped in a vicious circle of debt.
- Stress can create a vicious circle: you sleep badly, feel worse, and then worry even more.
- The more he drank, the more depressed he felt, and he couldn’t escape the vicious circle.
vicious cycle
2/vˈɪʃəs sˈaɪkəl/
idiom
self-reinforcing negative cycle
A bad cycle where one problem leads to another problem, and this keeps happening so that things get worse and worse.
Exemples
- Debt and poverty can create a vicious cycle.
- Debt can quickly become a vicious cycle if you keep borrowing to pay old loans.
- Lack of sleep leads to stress, which leads to more lack of sleep—a vicious cycle.
- The company was stuck in a vicious cycle of falling sales and cost-cutting.