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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Vicious Definition, Examples & Usage Guide (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：fierce and aggressive (vicious)

vicious 🔊

/ˈvɪʃəs/

adj.

Describing someone or an animal that is mean and wants to hurt others, like a dog that bites people on purpose.

Vicious dog snarling aggressively behind fence

fierce and aggressive 🔊

➕

/fɪərs ænd əˈɡrɛsɪv/

adj.

Describing someone or an animal that is mean and wants to hurt others, like a dog that bites people on purpose.

📁 Category：Animal Protection 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'vitium' (fault, vice) + suffix '-ous' (full of).

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'vice' (bad habit) plus 'cious' – a vicious person is full of vices that hurt others.

📖 Example

The stray dog was not just scared; it was vicious and bared its teeth at anyone who came near. 🔊 The stray dog was not just scared; it was vicious and bared its teeth at anyone who came near.

🔗 Collocations

vicious attack – a violent and aggressive assault

vicious animal – a dangerous animal that deliberately hurts people

vicious temper – a very bad and easily angered disposition

🔄 Synonyms

savage (adj.) – extremely fierce and violent, often about animals or actions

ferocious (adj.) – extremely aggressive and dangerous

brutal (adj.) – savagely violent and cruel

🚫 Antonyms

gentle (adj.) – kind and mild in nature, not aggressive

docile (adj.) – easy to control, submissive and not aggressive

tame (adj.) – domesticated and not wild or dangerous

🌱 Derivatives

viciously (adv.) – in a cruel or aggressive manner

viciousness (n.) – the quality of being cruel and violent

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Latin 'vitiosus' meaning 'full of faults', later in Old French 'vicieux', entering English around 1300. Originally referred to moral defects, then extended to physical aggression and intense severity.

Meaning 2：extremely severe (vicious)

vicious 🔊

/ˈvɪʃəs/

adj.

Describing a bad situation that becomes very serious, dangerous, or gets worse quickly.

Vicious headache pain illustrated with red spiral

extremely severe 🔊

➕

/ɪkˈstriːmli sɪˈvɪr/

adj.

Describing a bad situation that becomes very serious, dangerous, or gets worse quickly.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

After the long flight, he was hit by a vicious headache that made it impossible to focus. 🔊 After the long flight, he was hit by a vicious headache that made it impossible to focus.

🔗 Collocations

vicious headache – an extremely painful headache

vicious cycle – a situation where one problem leads to another, making everything worse

vicious cold – a very severe and unpleasant cold illness

🔄 Synonyms

severe (adj.) – very intense or serious, often about pain or conditions

intense (adj.) – extremely strong or powerful in degree

acute (adj.) – sudden and very sharp, often describing pain or illness

🚫 Antonyms

mild (adj.) – not strong or severe, moderate

gentle (adj.) – soft and not intense

slight (adj.) – small in degree, insignificant

🌱 Derivatives

viciously (adv.) – in an extremely intense or severe way