malice

mischief, mischievousness

noun mah-LEES Rare

Origin: Latin malitia ('badness'), from malus ('bad')

Also means

malice, spite

Usage Note

Malice in French is milder than its English false friend 'malice' — it most often means playful mischief or a teasing glint (avec malice, sans malice). True ill-will in French is better expressed as méchanceté or malveillance. The adjective malicieux/malicieuse means 'mischievous, impish' rather than 'malicious'.

Examples

"Elle répondit avec un sourire plein de malice."

Natural Translation

She replied with a smile full of mischief.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

Passé Composé vs Imparfait: When to Use Each

Passé composé tells the story; imparfait paints the scene. Use this 2-second flowchart, trigger words, and paired examples to pick the right French tense.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

How to Say "I Miss You" in French (Without Errors)

"I miss you" in French is Tu me manques, not Je te manque. Learn the subject-flip behind manquer so you never text the opposite of what you mean.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

En, Au, Aux: French Prepositions for Countries

Use en for feminine countries, au for masculine, aux for plural, and à for cities. Full French preposition rule for countries, with a lookup table and traps.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Adjective Placement: Before or After the Noun?

French adjectives usually follow the noun, but a small common set goes before it — and a few change meaning depending on which side they sit. Here's the rule.

June 4, 2026 5 min read