Nota: A tradução desta entrada está atualmente em revisão de qualidade, portanto parte do conteúdo é exibida temporariamente apenas em inglês.
Este verbete ainda não foi traduzido para o seu idioma, portanto o original é exibido abaixo.
viciousness
This term conveys a sense of predatory intent and active malice. It describes a level of cruelty that is not merely passive or negligent, but aggressively targeted and designed to cause maximum suffering. It is frequently used in legal or journalistic contexts to describe the nature of a crime or a physical assault.
In a moral or philosophical sense, the word shifts toward a description of systemic depravity or a lack of virtue. It suggests a deep-seated corruption of character rather than a single impulsive act of anger. As an abstract noun, it is uncountable and cannot be pluralized to describe multiple instances of cruelty.
Meanings
The quality of being deliberately cruel, violent, or aggressive.
Examples
The sheer viciousness of the attack left the victim traumatized for years.
I cannot believe the viciousness in her voice when she speaks about her rivals.
The beast attacked with a level of viciousness that terrified the entire village.
He was shocked by the viciousness of the rumors circulating in the office.
The detective noted the calculated viciousness of the crime scene.
Such moral viciousness is rarely seen in a person of his social standing.
Why do you treat others with such unnecessary viciousness?
The dog was put down because of its unpredictable viciousness toward children.