What does malevolence mean?
Word: Malevolence
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Malevolence means the feeling of wanting bad things to happen to other people.
Synonyms: spite, ill will
Antonyms: benevolence, kindness
How do you spell malevolence?
Syllables: ma - lev - o - lence
Tricky part: The ending is said quickly, so many pupils end the word with -ance; it takes -ence.
Watch out for: malevolance, malevolense, malevelence
Memory tip: Malevolence ends just like silence: -lence, with an e and a c.
Malevolence in a sentence
Example 1: The cartoon villain grinned with pure malevolence as he hid the hero's map.
Example 2: There was no malevolence in Leo's prank; he only wanted his sister to laugh.
Example 3: Writers often give the wicked queen in a fairy tale a look of cold malevolence.
Fun Fact
Malevolence and benevolence come from the same Latin verb meaning to wish, which is why the two make such a neat pair of opposites.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
mallevolence
a) l
b) o
c) v
d) e
Show answer
a) l. The word opens with mal- and a single l, as in malfunction.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is misspelt. Choose the meaning of that word:
1. accomodation 2. malevolence 3. persistent 4. hindrance
a) something that slows progress or gets in the way
b) a spiteful wish to see others do badly
c) a place where someone can live or stay
d) continuing firmly in spite of difficulty
Show answer
c) a place where someone can live or stay. Accommodation needs a double m as well as a double c; the other three words are spelt correctly.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word malevolence as used in the sentence:
In the pantomime, the stepmother's malevolence towards Cinderella made the whole audience boo.
a) resentment
b) goodwill
c) hostility
d) bitterness
Show answer
b) goodwill. Resentment, bitterness and hostility are all unkind feelings like malevolence; goodwill is the friendly wish for others to do well.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these acts shows malevolence?
a) hiding a classmate's homework to get her into trouble
b) lending a classmate a pencil without being asked
c) forgetting a friend's birthday by a simple mistake
d) laughing loudly at a joke in the middle of a film
Show answer
a) hiding a classmate's homework to get her into trouble
2. A character full of malevolence is most likely to ____.
a) share the credit for a team win
b) cheer for the other team's goal
c) forgive a friend's small mistake
d) enjoy another person's bad luck
Show answer
d) enjoy another person's bad luck
