Malicious means deliberately wanting to hurt, harm, or cause trouble for someone. When someone does something malicious, they actually intend to cause damage or pain, planning their actions with harmful goals in mind.

A malicious rumor is a lie someone spreads on purpose to hurt another person's reputation. A malicious computer virus is designed specifically to destroy files or steal information. In a fairy tale, when a villain casts a malicious spell, they want to cause suffering.

It describes actions fueled by spite, cruelty, or the desire to see others suffer. Someone might play a prank that's just annoying, but a malicious prank aims to embarrass, frighten, or genuinely hurt someone.

You can spot malicious behavior by asking: did this person know it would cause harm, and did they do it anyway because they wanted that harm to happen? A student who accidentally knocks over someone's project is clumsy, not malicious. But a student who deliberately destroys it out of jealousy or meanness is malicious. The difference lies entirely in the intention behind the action.