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malice

mischief, mischievousness

noun mah-LEES Rare
Mind & Emotions Personality

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.

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