as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
a malignant wish to lash out at everyone who was smarter, richer, or better-looking than he was
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of malignant
The dogs learn how to identify the cancer by smelling three boxes, with one containing a sample of malignant blood.
—
Stephanie Stahl, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
And interferon-gamma is used against chronic granulomatous disease and a bone disease known as severe malignant osteopetrosis.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Spark excelled in dark humor of a particular British type—apparently presentable people plotting ingeniously malignant crimes (think Roald Dahl)—and combined this with a gift for dry, demimondaine London dialogue in the style of, say, Anthony Powell.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2026
According to his official death certificate obtained by PEOPLE, The Middle alum’s death was a result of malignant neoplasm of the bladder, better known as bladder cancer.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for malignant
Stephanie Stahl, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
And interferon-gamma is used against chronic granulomatous disease and a bone disease known as severe malignant osteopetrosis.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Spark excelled in dark humor of a particular British type—apparently presentable people plotting ingeniously malignant crimes (think Roald Dahl)—and combined this with a gift for dry, demimondaine London dialogue in the style of, say, Anthony Powell.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2026
According to his official death certificate obtained by PEOPLE, The Middle alum’s death was a result of malignant neoplasm of the bladder, better known as bladder cancer.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for malignant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malignant
Adjective
-
Claude initially warned the unknown user of malicious intent during their conversation about the Mexican government, but eventually complied with the attacker’s requests and executed thousands of commands on government computer networks, the researchers said.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
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Here’s the Harvest Data The DNR said the charges for hunter harassment and malicious destruction of a blind were filed with the County Prosecutor’s office.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Feb. 2026
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These forces—economic uncertainty, political division, and toxic algorithms—work in a vicious cycle to try and tell us that empathy is weakness… that kindness is gullibility… that sincerity is for suckers.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, sought to show that his past had formed him, but there was a cruel irony in the reference.—
Gaby Wood,
Vogue,
21 Feb. 2026
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Many of these schools are impossibly competitive – impossibly and fantastically cruel.—
Anastasia Tsioulcas,
NPR,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Coventry said at a news conference last week that the IOC has a safeguarding unit that monitors the organization’s social media platforms for hateful messages.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
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The other 1/3 were very hateful with threats, etc.—
Claire Osborn,
Austin American Statesman,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That downtrend was definitively broken in 2022 as the nastiest bout of inflation in 40 years took hold.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
26 Feb. 2026
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After sets from intergenerational jam bands and folk-rock legends, the newest resident at Las Vegas’ Sphere will be a little louder and nastier than usual.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Malignant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malignant. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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