Mal"i*cho (?), n. [Sp. malhecho; mal bad + hecho deed, L. factum. See
Fact.] Mischief. [Obs.] Shak.
Ma*li"cious (?), a. [Of. malicius, F. malicieux, fr. L. malitiosus. See
Malice.] 1. Indulging or exercising malice; harboring ill will or
enmity.
I grant him bloody, . . . Sudden, malicious, smacking of every sin
That has a name.
Shak.
2. Proceeding from hatred or ill will; dictated by malice; as, a
malicious report; malicious mischief.
3. (Law) With wicked or mischievous intentions or motives; wrongful and
done intentionally without just cause or excuse; as, a malicious act.
Malicious abandonment, the desertion of a wife or husband without just
cause. Burrill. -- Malicious mischief (Law), malicious injury to the
property of another; -- an offense at common law. Wharton. -- Malicious
prosecution or arrest (Law), a wanton prosecution or arrest, by regular
process in a civil or criminal proceeding, without probable cause.
Bouvier.
Syn. -- Ill-disposed; evil-minded; mischievous; envious; malevolent;
invidious; spiteful; bitter; malignant; rancorous; malign.
-- Ma*li"cious*ly, adv. -- Ma*li"cious*ness, n.
Ma*lign" (?), a. [L. malignus, for maligenus, i. e., of a bad kind or
nature; malus bad + the root of genus birth, race, kind: cf. F. malin,
masc., maligne, fem. See Malice, Gender, and cf. Benign, Malignant.] 1.
Having an evil disposition toward others; harboring violent enmity;
malevolent; malicious; spiteful; -- opposed to benign.
Witchcraft may be by operation of malign spirits.
Bacon.
2. Unfavorable; unpropitious; pernicious; tending to injure; as, a
malign aspect of planets.