malignant
adjective
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Definition of malignant
1a obsolete : malcontent, disaffected
b : evil in nature, influence, or effect : injurious a powerful and malignant influence
c : passionately and relentlessly malevolent : aggressively malicious the malignant tongues of gossipers
2 : tending to produce death or deterioration malignant malaria especially : tending to infiltrate, metastasize, and terminate fatally a malignant tumor
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Synonyms & Antonyms for malignant
Synonyms
bad [slang], bitchy, catty, cruel, despiteful, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, mean, nasty, spiteful, vicious, virulent
Antonyms
benevolent, benign, benignant, loving, unmalicious
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Examples of malignant in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
By extracting a woman’s ovarian tissue prior to cancer therapy and stripping it of malignant cells, Pors was able to preserve enough functionality to support the growth and maintenance of human follicles, which carry immature eggs. — Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, "How Artificial Ovaries Could Expand Fertility Options For Chemo Patients," 5 July 2018 Lymphoma is always malignant, meaning cancerous, Henry Fung, M.D., vice chair of the Department of Hematology/Oncology, and director of the Fox Chase–Temple University Hospital Bone Marrow Transplant Program, tells SELF. — Korin Miller, SELF, "'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Star Cynthia Bailey's 'Bug Bite' Turned Out to Be a Lipoma Tumor," 6 Apr. 2018 Researchers also removed immune cells from the malignant mass - tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, or TILs - and found some that targeted four of those defects. — Laurie Mcginley, ajc, "Researchers use immune-cell 'army' to battle another tough cancer," 4 June 2018 Rollie’s radical mastectomy at age 37 included removal of her mostly malignant lymph nodes and the beginning of almost three years of struggle. — Ruth O. Selig, Washington Post, "Years ago when my twin got breast cancer I took drastic action and am grateful I did," 28 May 2018 They are meant for a network of strangers and are built to be suspicious of malignant forces. — Quinn Norton, The Atlantic, "Email Is Dangerous," 21 May 2018 Taggart also has a non-malignant tumor at the base of his skull that has caused nerve damage and affects swallowing and other functions. — Lori Nickel, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Patient takes the fight to cancer with Scenic Shore team raising hundreds of thousands of dollars," 10 July 2018 These can be especially aggressive malignant tumors. — Dr. Patty Khuly, miamiherald, "Most lumps are nothing serious, but don't take a chance. Call the vet.," 5 July 2018 Glioblastoma, a difficult-to-treat disease that is the most common of all malignant brain tumors, can cause seizures, headaches, blurred vision, and confusion. — Washington Post, BostonGlobe.com, "Polio virus treatment increased survival in patients with deadly brain tumors, study shows," 26 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'malignant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for malignant
malignant
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of malignant
medical : very serious and dangerous : tending or likely to grow and spread in a rapid and uncontrolled way that can cause death
: very evil
See the full definition for malignant in the English Language Learners Dictionary
malignant
adjective
\
malignant
adjective
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Medical Definition of malignant
1 : tending to produce death or deterioration malignant malaria especially : tending to infiltrate, metastasize, and terminate fatally malignant tumors — compare benign sense 1
2 : of unfavorable prognosis : not responding favorably to treatment psychotic reactions with a malignant trend
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