Definitions
- Describing a person's intention to cause harm or trouble. - Referring to a negative or harmful purpose behind an action or behavior. - Talking about a hidden or ulterior motive that is not immediately apparent.
- Describing a strong feeling of ill will or hatred towards someone. - Referring to a deliberate and intentional desire to cause harm or suffering. - Talking about a malicious or spiteful attitude towards others.
List of Similarities
- 1Both words describe negative intentions or attitudes towards others.
- 2Both words imply a desire to cause harm or trouble.
- 3Both words can be used to describe people's actions or behaviors.
What is the difference?
- 1Scope: Malintent refers to a specific intention or purpose, while malevolence implies a more general attitude or disposition towards others.
- 2Intensity: Malevolence suggests a stronger and more intense feeling of ill will or hatred than malintent.
- 3Motivation: Malintent can be motivated by various factors, such as greed, jealousy, or revenge, while malevolence is often motivated by a deep-seated hatred or resentment.
- 4Usage: Malintent is a less common word than malevolence and is typically used in legal or formal contexts, while malevolence is more versatile and can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
- 5Connotation: Malintent has a more neutral connotation than malevolence, which has a more negative and sinister connotation.
Remember this!
Malintent and malevolence are synonyms that describe negative intentions or attitudes towards others. However, malintent refers to a specific intention or purpose, while malevolence implies a more general attitude or disposition towards others. Additionally, malevolence suggests a stronger and more intense feeling of ill will or hatred than malintent. While malintent is a less common word used in legal or formal contexts, malevolence is more versatile and can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
