malign

adjective ma·lign \ mə-ˈlīn \

Definition of malign

1 a :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

—

malignly

adverb

See malign defined for English-language learners

See malign defined for kids

malign was our Word of the Day on 10/18/2017. Hear the podcast!

Examples of malign in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of malign from the Web

Europeans often talk up the malign influence of external powers in the western Balkans.

— The Economist, "CharlemagneThe EU must show the Balkans they still have a chance of joining," 13 July 2017
Trump’s discussions with Comey likewise point to a kind of malign disinterest in whether the next election is similarly sabotaged.

— brian beutler, New Republic, "Trump Wants Russia to Interfere for Him Again," 7 July 2017
Moscow, for its part, strongly denies any malign influence in the American election.

— matt ford, The Atlantic, "Putin Offers to Provide a Transcript," 17 May 2017
Something malevolent, something malign, was sitting on me, stopping me from breathing.

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "Pussy, the First Trump-Era Novel, Is a Brutal Satire," 9 May 2017
In 1987, a Dutch psychiatrist, Marius Romme, was treating a patient named Patsy Hage, who heard malign voices.

— jerome groopman, The New Yorker, "The Voices in Our Heads," 9 Jan. 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of malign

Middle English maligne, from Anglo-French, from Latin malignus, from male badly + gignere to beget — more at mal-, kin

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

malign Synonyms

Synonyms

bad [slang], bitchy, catty, cruel, despiteful, malevolent, malicious, hateful, malignant, mean, nasty, spiteful, vicious, virulent

Antonyms

benevolent, benign, benignant, loving, unmalicious

Near Antonyms

compassionate, good, good-hearted, kind, kindhearted, kindly, sympathetic, warm, warmhearted; affable, agreeable, amiable, cordial, friendly, genial, gracious, nice, pleasant; affectionate, amorous, sweet, tender, tenderhearted; humane; altruistic, high-minded, humanitarian, magnanimous, noble, philanthropic (also philanthropical)

Synonym Discussion of 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

verb

Definition of malign

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.

See malign defined for English-language learners

Examples of malign in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of malign from the Web

And the statue was raised in honor of this (sometimes maligned) relationship.

— ben panko, Smithsonian, "This Russian Monument Honors the Humble Lab Mouse," 17 Aug. 2017
On July 10th, 2016, Eder, despite being somewhat maligned in a squad which included Cristiano Ronaldo, scored the winning goal for Portugal against France in the Euro 2016 final.

— SI.com, "Brighton and Birmingham Both in the Race for Portuguese Forward But €6m Fee Remains an Issue," 15 Aug. 2017
The Ono oeuvre, once maligned as a conglomeration of unbearable neo-Dadaist pranks and unlistenable music, is now considered haute.

— stephen mooallem, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Ballad of Sean & Yoko," 31 July 2017
Like many of his fellow youngsters at Chelsea, the 21-year-old has not made consistent appearances for Antonio Conte's Blues, and continues to be be somewhat maligned at Stamford Bridge.

— SI.com, "Newly Promoted Brighton and Newcastle Battle for Chelsea's Ruben Loftus-Cheek," 19 July 2017
Michigan State’s maligned secondary underwent a radical off-season overhaul.

— chris solari, Detroit Free Press, "Overhauled, depleted Michigan State secondary looking for new stars," 27 June 2017
Long maligned over mounting animal welfare concerns, Ringling suffered sluggish sales from an ever-fading fan base.

— matthew prescott, Fortune, "Why Animal Cruelty Is Bad Business," 23 June 2017
The Kings have long been maligned for miscues in the NBA draft.

— thomas oide, sacbee.com, "Wait, did the Sacramento Kings win the draft? National media says so," 23 June 2017
And too many of us have been willing accomplices to the efforts to malign their work.

— diane carman, The Denver Post, "Everybody loses in the war on science," 22 Apr. 2017

Did You Know?

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."

Origin and Etymology of malign

Middle English, from Anglo-French maligner to act maliciously, from Late Latin malignari, from Latin malignus — see ¹malign

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

malign Synonyms

Synonyms

asperse, blacken, calumniate, defame, libel, slander, smear, traduce, vilify

Related Words

belittle, denigrate, detract, disparage; discredit, disgrace, dishonor, shame; abase, debase, degrade, humble, humiliate; disdain, scorn

Near Antonyms

exalt, glorify, honor; acclaim, applaud, commend, praise; esteem, respect; admire, regard; adore, revere, venerate, worship

Synonym Discussion of malign

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

MALIGN Defined for English Language Learners

malign

adjective

Definition of malign for English Language Learners

: causing or intended to cause harm

malign

verb

Definition of malign for English Language Learners

: to say bad things about (someone or something) publicly : to criticize (someone or something) harshly or unfairly

MALIGN Defined for Kids

malign

adjective ma·lign \ mə-ˈlīn \

Definition of malign for Students

:malicious

malign

verb

Definition of malign for Students

maligned; maligning

:to say evil things about :slander

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malign was our Word of the Day on 10/18/2017. Hear the podcast!

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Origin and Etymology of malign

malign Synonyms

Synonyms

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Related Words

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Synonym Discussion of malign

malign

Definition of malign

Examples of malign in a Sentence

Recent Examples of malign from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of malign

malign Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of malign

MALIGN Defined for English Language Learners

malign

Definition of malign for English Language Learners

malign

Definition of malign for English Language Learners

MALIGN Defined for Kids

malign

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malign

Definition of malign for Students

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