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
-
Beneath the inevitable finger-pointing and politicizing, there is often a genuine, even desperate, human impulse to find fault not out of malice, but out of mourning and a desire to find solutions.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
-
To hunt a predator feels like an act of malice, of dominance, of ego.—
Helen Whybrow
July 7,
Literary Hub,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
Woman screams as snake attacks—dog jumps in and takes the venom for her The video highlighted the canine parents, with viewers instantly falling in love with the unique puppies.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 July 2025
-
Do not attempt to suck out venom: This is not effective and can cause further damage to the wound.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
The new law adds to existing municipal ordinances that forbid animal cruelty or neglect, including leaving a pet in too small of a space or outside in the hot Florida sun.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
3 July 2025
-
The record got its name from a title track that comes mid-album, a plucky, haunting Americana song that explores the ties between love and cruelty.—
Audrey Gibbs,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
It's been very difficult to see just how much of this hatred has been normalized.—
Leila Fadel,
NPR,
1 July 2025
-
Period drama enthusiasts will be interested to know that Wright set the movie in the late-18th century instead of the early-19th century in part because of his hatred of empire waist dresses.—
Lia Beck,
EW.com,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
Most striking was the test’s ability to detect malignancies long considered unscreenable—pancreatic, ovarian, and others that had eluded surveillance.—
Siddhartha Mukherjee,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
-
Grail’s test identified malignancy in 1,453 of the cancer cases, missing it in 1,370.—
Siddhartha Mukherjee,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malignance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malignance. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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