as in malice
the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm
the reviewer was criticized not for his negative review of the singer's album but for the malignance with which he expressed his disapproval of her lavish lifestyle
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Recent Examples of malignance
This is a movement that many progressives view as promising to reinvigorate hearts and minds, but that others warn may deliver different doses of theological malignance.
—
Audrey Clare Farley, The New Republic, 3 Jan. 2022
Where purity culture twists normal desires into malignance?
—Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2021
By definition Mishler’s content attracts people seeking refuge, but the exceptional malignance of 2020 has colored both her videos and the attitude of her fan base.
—New York Times, 25 Nov. 2020
Consequently, the growth disruption itself has exacerbated the cultural and economic malignance that helped create the underperforming trend in the first place.
—David L. Bahnsen, National Review, 13 Feb. 2018
Audrey Clare Farley, The New Republic, 3 Jan. 2022
Where purity culture twists normal desires into malignance?
—Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2021
By definition Mishler’s content attracts people seeking refuge, but the exceptional malignance of 2020 has colored both her videos and the attitude of her fan base.
—New York Times, 25 Nov. 2020
Consequently, the growth disruption itself has exacerbated the cultural and economic malignance that helped create the underperforming trend in the first place.
—David L. Bahnsen, National Review, 13 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malignance
Noun
-
Actual malice is the legal standard by which courts determine if someone is liable for libel.—
Keely Bastow,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Apr. 2026
-
However, the evidence of actual malice does not approach the clear and convincing standard.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The venom causes a drop in blood pressure in the prey as well as prolonged bleeding, immobilizing it and allowing the dragon to bring it down and kill it.—
Craig Stanford,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
-
Do not use a tourniquet, attempt to suck out venom, or cut the bite site.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Her staging of Schiaparelli’s work exposes illusion, cost, and cruelty.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
-
That’s the charm and cruelty of the NBA Draft Lottery.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
In Australia, a wide-ranging inquiry commission examining antisemitism after a massacre at a Hanukkah celebration heard this week from Jews who said escalating hatred has left them fearful and vulnerable.—
David Crary,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
-
They were convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred and sentenced to two years in prison.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
And in 2025, UCSD researchers were awarded $25 million to develop biomarkers capable of anticipating tumor evolution and predicting how malignancies will respond to treatment.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Metastatic pancreatic cancer patients who received a targeted pill from Revolution Medicines lived nearly twice as long as patients who received chemotherapy, a striking result in an especially deadly and intractable malignancy.—
Jason Mast,
STAT,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Malignance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malignance. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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