noun
mass noun1Deliberate cruelty or violence.
‘she was visibly shocked by the viciousness of the attack’
- ‘In explaining the viciousness of the war in the Pacific, the virulent racism of all the participating countries is crucial.’
- ‘The viciousness of the crime was enough to seal his fate.’
- ‘The person who is the killer is the person who presses all the way and governs the viciousness of the attack.’
- ‘The sense of finality which that conveyed really brought home the violence and viciousness of the act.’
- ‘The sentencing judge noted "a high degree of cruelty, viciousness, and callousness."’
- 1.1Aggressive, angry behaviour.
‘they reveal a stupidity and viciousness when arguing’
- ‘No other civil rights movement would allow a hate monger to spew their viciousness on their own show on national television.’
- ‘He berates the already demoralized employees in a speech of extraordinary viciousness.’
- ‘The viciousness of the response from the other side was very telling.’
- ‘The possibilities are limited only by the deviousness of your mind and the viciousness of your competitive drive.’
- ‘We are a straightforward and self-righteous people, so we are rather good at viciousness, but lacking in irony.’