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| vi·cious [ víshəss ] |
adjective |
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| Definition: |
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1. ferocious and violent: carried out with intense violence and an apparent desire to inflict serious harm, or acting in an aggressive, cruel, and violent way
 a vicious attack
 Her husband's a vicious brute.
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2. dangerous and aggressive: aggressive and liable to attack or bite
 a vicious dog
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3. malicious: intended to cause somebody mental anguish or to defame somebody
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4. severe: extremely severe or powerful and damaging in its effects
 a vicious frost
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5. going from bad to worse: involving a chain of cause and effect or action and reaction in which things get progressively worse
 a vicious spiral
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6. unsound: incorrect or showing faulty logic
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7. wicked and immoral: displaying or given to immoral behavior
(
formal
)
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| [14th century. <vice1] |
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 vi·cious·ly adverb |
 vi·cious·ness noun |
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