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malizia

malice, cunning

noun mah-LEE-tsyah Rare

Origin: from Latin malitia (wickedness)

Also means

mischievousness

Usage Note

Malizia covers a range from playful mischief to deliberate malice — context determines the shade. Con malizia can mean 'mischievously' or 'maliciously'. A learner should note that in Italian the word can be lighter than the English 'malice'; una malizia da bambino simply means 'a child's mischievousness'. The adjective is malizioso.

Examples

"Sorrise con una certa malizia."

Natural Translation

She smiled with a certain mischievousness.

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