Did you know?

The not very nice word "malicious" is derived from the word

malice = Bosheit

Here's what Merriam Webster says about malice and it's relatives:

Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin malitia, from malus bad

Date: 14th century

1 : desire to cause pain, injury, or distress to another

2 : intent to commit an unlawful act or cause harm without legal justification or excuse

synonyms: MALICE, MALEVOLENCE, ILL WILL, SPITE, MALIGNITY, SPLEEN, GRUDGE mean the desire to see another experience pain, injury, or distress.

MALICE implies a deep-seated often unexplainable desire to see another
suffer "felt no malice toward their former enemies".

MALEVOLENCE suggests a bitter persistent hatred that is likely to be
expressed in malicious conduct "a look of dark malevolence".

ILL WILL implies a feeling of antipathy of limited duration "ill will provoked by a careless remark".

SPITE implies petty feelings of envy and resentment that are often expressed in small harassments "petty insults inspired by spite".

MALIGNITY implies deep passion and relentlessness motiveless malignity>.

SPLEEN suggests the wrathful release of latent spite or persistent malice
"venting his spleen against politicians".

GRUDGE implies a harbored feeling of resentment or ill will that seeks satisfaction "never one to harbor a grudge".

NOTE:

malicious joy, malicious glee = Schadenfreude

malicious call = belästigender Anruf

malicious injury = vorsätzliche Körperverletzung

malicious-tongue = Schandmaul

malicious intent = böswillige Absicht

malicious injury of property = vorsätzliche Sachbeschädigung

malicious damages = bösartige Sachbeschädigungen

a malicious rumour has it that = ein böses Gerücht sagt dass


And on a positive note: the opposite of malice = benelovence