vicious
See also: Vicious
English
Alternative forms
- vitious (obsolete)
Etymology
PIE word |
---|
*dwóh₁ |
From Middle English vicious, from Anglo-Norman vicious, (modern French vicieux), from Latin vitiōsus, from vitium (“fault, vice”). Equivalent to vice + -ous.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈvɪʃəs/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɪʃəs
Adjective
vicious (comparative viciouser or more vicious, superlative viciousest or most vicious)
- Violent, destructive and cruel.
- Savage and aggressive.
- 1922, Michael Arlen, “2/9/1”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
- He had always been remarkably immune from such little ailments, and had only once in his life been ill, of a vicious pneumonia long ago at school. He hadn't the faintest idea what to with a cold in the head, he just took quinine and continued to blow his nose.
-
- (archaic) Pertaining to vice; characterised by immorality or depravity.
- 1603, Michel de Montaigne, John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821:, Folio Society, 2006, vol.1, p.195:
- We may so seize on vertue, that if we embrace it with an over-greedy and violent desire, it may become vicious.
-
Synonyms
- scathy
Derived terms
- vicious circle
Related terms
- See vice#Related_terms
Translations
violent, destructive
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savage, aggressive
|
pertaining to vice; characterised by immorality or depravity
|
Middle English
Alternative forms
- viciows, vicius, vycious, vycyus, vicyous, vecyous, vysyous, vycios, vycyous, vicyows
Etymology
Borrowed from Anglo-Norman vicious, from Latin vitiōsus; equivalent to vice + -ous.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /visiˈuːs/, /visˈjuːs/, /ˈvisjus/
Adjective
vicious (plural and weak singular viciouse)
- Iniquitous, sinful, wicked (often in a way that causes harm or vice to/in others)
- (rare) Lacking purity or cleanness; spoiled or defiled.
- (rare) Inaccurate, modified, or debased; of substandard quality.
- (rare) Injurious, dangerous; causing serious harm.
Descendants
- English: vicious
- Scots: veecious
References
- “viciǒus, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-03-01.
Old French
Etymology
From Latin vitiōsus.
Adjective
vicious m (oblique and nominative feminine singular viciouse)
- vicious; malicious
- defective; not capable of functioning
Declension
Declension of vicious
Number | Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Subject | vicious | viciouse | vicious |
Oblique | vicious | |||
Plural | Subject | vicious | viciouses | |
Oblique | vicious |
Descendants
- Middle English: vicious, viciows, vicius, vycious, vycyus, vicyous, vecyous, vysyous, vycios, vycyous, vicyows
- English: vicious
- Scots: veecious
References
- vicios on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub