malign

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

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