malicious
Wanting to hurt someone or make trouble for them on purpose, often to be mean or cruel.
Having or showing a desire to hurt, harm, or cause trouble for someone, often out of spite.
- Base: malicious
malicious code
1code written to harm systems
Parts of a computer program that are written to damage a system or steal data.
- The security team found malicious code hidden inside the application.
- Hackers injected malicious code into the website to collect users’ passwords.
malicious compliance
1obeying orders to cause problems
Following rules or orders exactly, even when you know it will cause problems, because you secretly want those problems to happen.
- His strict boss demanded that he follow the rules, so he used malicious compliance to show how unrealistic they were.
- The story describes an employee’s malicious compliance with a policy that ended up costing the company money.
malicious damage
1intentional harmful damage
Damage to things that someone causes on purpose to harm or upset others.
- The teenagers were arrested for malicious damage to public property.
- His car was keyed in what the police described as an act of malicious damage.
malicious gossip
1gossip meant to hurt someone
Talk about someone that is false or very unkind, said on purpose to hurt that person.
- She left the company after months of malicious gossip about her private life.
- Malicious gossip can destroy a person’s reputation very quickly.
malicious intent
1intention to cause harm
A clear plan or wish to hurt someone or cause damage on purpose.
- The judge said there was no evidence of malicious intent behind the email.
- To prove the crime, the prosecution must show that the defendant acted with malicious intent.
malicious prosecution
1harmful, baseless legal case
A legal case started against someone without real reason, mainly to hurt or punish them.
- He sued the authorities for malicious prosecution after the charges were dropped.
- Malicious prosecution occurs when legal action is used as a tool to harass someone.
malicious rumor
1harmful rumor about someone
A story about someone, often not true, that is shared to hurt that person.
- Someone started a malicious rumor that he had cheated on the exam.
- The politician denied the malicious rumors about his family.
malicious software
1software made to harm computers
Computer programs that are made to damage a computer, steal information, or cause problems.
- Make sure your antivirus program is updated to protect against malicious software.
- The company’s network was infected with malicious software that encrypted all its files.