1 malign | Definition of malign

malign

adjective
ma·​lign | \ mÉ™-ˈlÄ«n How to pronounce malign (audio) \

Definition of malign

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1a : evil in nature, influence, or effect : injurious the malign effects of illicit drugs
b : malignant, virulent a malign lesion
2 : having or showing intense often vicious ill will : malevolent gave him a malign look

malign

verb
maligned; maligning; maligns

Definition of malign (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to utter injuriously misleading or false reports about : speak evil of Her supporters say that she has been unfairly maligned in the press.

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Other Words from malign

Adjective

malignly adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for malign

Adjective

sinister, baleful, malign mean seriously threatening evil or disaster. sinister suggests a general or vague feeling of fear or apprehension on the part of the observer. a sinister aura haunts the place baleful imputes perniciousness or destructiveness to something whether working openly or covertly. exerting a corrupt and baleful influence malign applies to what is inherently evil or harmful. the malign effects of racism

Verb

malign, traduce, asperse, vilify, calumniate, defame, slander mean to injure by speaking ill of. malign suggests specific and often subtle misrepresentation but may not always imply deliberate lying. the most maligned monarch in British history traduce stresses the resulting ignominy and distress to the victim. so traduced the governor that he was driven from office asperse implies continued attack on a reputation often by indirect or insinuated detraction. both candidates aspersed the other's motives vilify implies attempting to destroy a reputation by open and direct abuse. no criminal was more vilified in the press calumniate imputes malice to the speaker and falsity to the assertions. falsely calumniated as a traitor defame stresses the actual loss of or injury to one's good name. sued them for defaming her reputation slander stresses the suffering of the victim. town gossips slandered their good name

Did You Know?

Verb

When a word's got "mal-" in it, it's no good. That prefix traces to the Latin word malus (which means "bad"), and it puts the negative vibes in "malign" and a host of other English words. You can see it in "malpractice" (bad medical practice) and "malady" (a bad condition, such as a disease or illness, of the body or mind). A "malefactor" is someone guilty of bad deeds, and "malice" is a desire to cause injury, pain, or distress to another person. Other "mal-" formed words include "malaise," "malcontent," "maladroit," "malodorous," and "malnourished."

Examples of malign in a Sentence

Adjective

both parties to the divorce showed a malign desire to make each other's future life utterly miserable

Verb

Her supporters say she is being unfairly maligned in the press. a candidate who believes that it is possible to win an election without maligning anyone
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Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Mr Chakravarty alleges a second malign motive behind the anti-corruption campaign. The Economist, "The Indian government’s anti-corruption campaign revs up," 29 Aug. 2019 Yes, the outcomes of testing can be put to malign uses. Randall Kennedy, Washington Post, "A black academic grapples with his own racism," 23 Aug. 2019 Iran’s malign activity poses a fundamental threat to the stability of the Middle East and to Americans at home and abroad. Fox News, "Trump administration gets green light to sell arms to Saudi Arabia, after Senate rejects veto overrides," 30 July 2019 The law's original intent—to shine a spotlight on malign bot activity and to increase public awareness—is noble. Renee Diresta, WIRED, "A New Law Makes Bots Identify Themselves—That's the Problem," 24 July 2019 The Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, missile technology, proxy forces, terrorism, and malign behavior in the region concern not only Israel but also Sunni governments. Matthew Continetti, National Review, "Benjamin Netanyahu: Israel’s Longest-Serving Prime Minister," 20 July 2019 Already, the same media Sanders helped mislead and malign is rewarding her. Michael Arceneaux, Essence, "Opinion: Sarah Sanders Will Probably Become Governor Of Arkansas," 20 June 2019 In withdrawing from the deal last year, Trump pointed to the accord not limiting Iran’s ballistic missile program and not addressing what American officials describe as Tehran’s malign influence across the wider Middle East. Jon Gambrell, The Denver Post, "Two oil tankers targeted near Strait of Hormuz amid Iran-U.S. tensions," 13 June 2019 For Snyder, the malign influence of Russia’s antidemocratic turn does not end in Eastern Europe. Adam Tooze, The New York Review of Books, "Democracy and Its Discontents," 6 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The same is true of Beltran, who is a deserving first-ballot choice but spent his entire career being undervalued and occasionally maligned by writers and fans alike. Jon Tayler, SI.com, "Baseball Hall of Fame Inductions Are Heading for a Bleak Period," 19 July 2019 The Hugo win is a huge validation for many fanfic authors — many of whom are used to being dismissed and culturally maligned — that all of their non-professional works are worthy of respect. Aja Romano, Vox, "4.7 million fanfics are now Hugo winners, thanks to AO3 and the transformative culture that built it.," 19 Aug. 2019 The Fort Worth City Council on Tuesday voted to remove an official from the city's Human Rights Commission over a series of bigoted social media posts that maligned immigrants, transgender people and Muslims. Arnessa Garrett, Dallas News, "Bonnen apologizes but faces investigation, Trump lights up Joaquin Castro, Paxton joins sick leave lawsuit," 8 Aug. 2019 These groups contend the scandal maligns the priesthood and harms the Catholic faith. Martha Mendoza, Washington Post, "Priests accused of sex abuse turned to under-the-radar group," 29 July 2019 These groups contend the scandal maligns the priesthood and harms the Catholic faith. Anchorage Daily News, "Priests accused of sex abuse turned to under-the-radar group," 29 July 2019 Incredible Bats: Bats are often misunderstood and maligned. chicagotribune.com, "Calendar: Celebrate Harry Potter's birthday Wednesday in Lake Forest," 23 July 2019 Historians have unfairly maligned this Congress, which did, after all, see the states through to victory in a very doubtful contest. Thomas Wendel, National Review, "The Beginning of a Nation," 4 July 2019 Long maligned for his reckless approach at the plate, Twins slugger Miguel Sano put on a clinic late in Saturday’s down-to-the-wire 5-4 loss to the Oakland Athletics. Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, "Is strikeout-prone Twins slugger Miguel Sano finally starting to figure it out?," 21 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'malign.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of malign

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb