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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Recent Examples of malignant
The fundraiser follows McIvor’s announcement earlier this month that he’d been diagnosed with glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive type of malignant brain tumor experienced by adults.
—
Katie Bain, Billboard, 15 July 2025
Their lives are upended when Sabri is diagnosed with a malignant tumour.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 24 June 2025
The withholding nature of Chernin’s Leo poses some theatrical risks but goes a long way toward explaining how the character’s otherness could be turned against him in such a malignant way.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
The test measures the level of PSA, a protein produced by normal as well as malignant prostate gland cells, in the blood.
—Ronnie Cohen, NPR, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for malignant
Katie Bain, Billboard, 15 July 2025
Their lives are upended when Sabri is diagnosed with a malignant tumour.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 24 June 2025
The withholding nature of Chernin’s Leo poses some theatrical risks but goes a long way toward explaining how the character’s otherness could be turned against him in such a malignant way.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
The test measures the level of PSA, a protein produced by normal as well as malignant prostate gland cells, in the blood.
—Ronnie Cohen, NPR, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for malignant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malignant
Adjective
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, which potentially accesses your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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When Tony's security company faces an attack from unknown malicious forces, the family goes on the run across Europe while figuring out who is after them, according to Paramount.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Once infected, the body demands even more energy to fend off infection, leading to a vicious cycle.—
Michal Ruprecht,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
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Masked country crooner Orville Peck will keep his face covered while playing Vega, the vicious fighter who uses metal claws as one of his weapons.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Because of the cruel math of throughput and utilization, over ten days, only three hundred people experienced Blur.—
Charlie Fink,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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Tamra was awful to Gretchen back then, culminating in the Naked Wasted Party, which was one of the cruelest things to ever happen on Housewives.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Jack Osbourne has zero tolerance for hateful comments towards his late father, Ozzy Osbourne.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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YouTube videos posted from an account linked to Westman show a cache of weapons with racist, homophobic, antisemitic and hateful language against Muslims and other minority groups.—
John Bacon,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Sean Gardner/Getty Images This comes just weeks after Zilisch suffered a nasty fall from his car in Victory Lane at Watkins Glen, which resulted in a broken collarbone.—
Lydia Mee,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
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Parents pushing, people cutting lines, nasty attitudes everywhere, especially outside and in Sephora.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malignant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malignant. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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