as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
both parties to the divorce showed a malign desire to make each other's future life utterly miserable
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to libel
to make untrue and harmful statements about
a candidate who believes that it is possible to win an election without maligning anyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of malign
Galip Dalay, Time, 19 Aug. 2025
The postponement of the trip due to bad weather just added to the malign promise of the place.
—Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
Caroline Rose, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2025
The dam broke Saturday night for the Dodgers’ maligned offense, even with Logan Webb pitching.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malign
Adjective
Advertisement In May, the European Union adopted a new Black Sea Strategy, which comes down to establishing a Black Sea Maritime Security Hub tasked with monitoring and providing early warning of emerging threats and malign activities.
—Galip Dalay, Time, 19 Aug. 2025
The postponement of the trip due to bad weather just added to the malign promise of the place.
—Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
In its weekly online newsletter, which reaches and inspires jihadists across the globe, the group routinely maligns Shara and the new government and calls for soldiers in the Syrian military to defect.
—Caroline Rose, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2025
The dam broke Saturday night for the Dodgers’ maligned offense, even with Logan Webb pitching.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malign
Adjective
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
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In fact, malicious hackers often strike when their target’s guard is down.—
Richard Forno,
The Conversation,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In 2022, Manhattan Federal Judge Jed Rakoff, who presided over both trials, decided The Times was not liable for defamation while jurors were deliberating, that the error amounted to unfortunate editorializing but not libel.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2025
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As a new, inexpensive Chevrolet appeared in 1927 and The Dearborn Independent was sued for libeling a number of Jewish businessmen, Ford threw in the towel and apologized.—
George Pendle,
airmail.news,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This culture is incredibly cruel, and things have gotten really obscene.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Oct. 2025
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Supporters of the new laws praised the legislation as a major step toward ending cruel breeding practices and protecting consumers.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The recklessness of Netanyahu's government has smeared on Israel's face a stain that will be difficult to erase even with a generation's effort.—
Ehud Barak,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
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The demand for arbitration alleged a campaign to smear the former anchor.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Make people laugh and help people out and just keep that vicious cycle of fun going.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
13 Oct. 2025
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Some beaches along the East Coast might no longer exist after a vicious storm threatening significant coastal flooding passes through the area this weekend, AccuWeather warned in an email to reporters on Thursday.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Trump has long vilified Portland as the seat of the far left, since peaceful protests in the wake of George Floyd’s 2020 police killing devolved into riots and stretched on for months.—
Ella Lee,
The Hill,
5 Oct. 2025
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This is just one example of the backsliding of America to vilify the LGBTQ community to appease a political base distracted by identity politics over substantive issues of national concern—regardless of the scientific and moral justification of such a change.—
Dr. Nikki Romanik,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Many figures not only on the Israeli right, but also in the West, argue that the Palestinian people and their cause are inherently hateful and prone to anti-Jewish violence.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
7 Oct. 2025
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The show follows Ed Gein (Charlie Hunnam), an unassuming and odd man, working his family’s farm under the watchful eye of his hateful and vicious mother, Augusta (Laurie Metcalf).—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malign. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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