[adjective] (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering; "a barbarous crime"; "brutal beatings"; "cruel tortures"; "Stalin's roughshod treatment of the kulaks"; "a savage slap"; "vicious kicks" Synonyms: barbarous, brutal, cruel, fell, roughshod, savage
[adjective] having the nature of vice Synonyms: depraved, evil
[adjective] marked by deep ill will; deliberately harmful; "a malevolent lie"; "poisonous hate...in his eyes"- Ernest Hemingway; "venomous criticism"; "vicious gossip" Synonyms: poisonous, venomous
