la malice

malice, spite, ill will

m a . l i s
noun · feminine Rare #44,568
malice, spite, ill will Usually means a desire to harm or upset someone; in some contexts, it can mean playful mischief.
FR: Elle a fait ça sans malice.
EN: She did that without any malice.

Ils jouent aux saints et sont pleins de malice.

They play at being saints and are full of malice.

— Les Sept Samouraïs (1954)

N'y vois aucune malice.

Don't take it the wrong way.

— The Witch (2016)

On dirait que l'âge m'a appris la malice.

It seems age has taught me cunning.

— Le Château ambulant (2004)

Pense un peu que, par malice, jamais j'ai voulu m'approcher de lui.

Just imagine, I never wanted to get close to him out of sheer spite.

— Manon des sources (1986)

Il m'a poussé par hasard, et non par malice.

He pushed me by accident, not out of malice.

Il est sans malice.

He's harmless.

— Star Trek IV : Retour sur Terre (1986)

Sounds similar to