malignant

adjective

mə-ˈlig-nənt How to pronounce malignant (audio)
Definition of malignantnext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of malignant The patient was selected because his condition, unlike cancers such as leukemia, did not carry the risk of reimplanting malignant cells along with the transplant that could lead to a recurrence. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 23 July 2026 That’s the day Prigge was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, an aggressive form of cancer. — Amy Wenk, AJC.com, 22 July 2026 Per the Mayo Clinic, glioblastomas are the most serious type of glioma brain tumor and are the most common malignant brain tumor in adults. — Adam England, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026 Asymptomatic lesions discovered incidentally in populations could also be monitored en masse to generate a robust database that would help researchers learn which types of lesions are more (or less) likely to turn malignant. — Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for malignant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malignant
  1. malicious
  2. vicious
  3. cruel
  4. hateful
  5. nasty
Adjective
  • Use strong security software Good security software can help protect you from malicious links, phishing attempts and other online threats that may try to steal your information.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Many phones silently join familiar-looking networks without user confirmation, a behavior that attackers exploit through malicious wireless access points that mimic trusted hotspots.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of malicious
Adjective
  • But Roy’s story of Annie (Arjun Raina), a New Delhi architecture student caught in a vicious cycle of failing and repeating his studies, gradually reveals itself as a sharp and poignant portrayal of youth, deftly poised between hope and cynicism.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Lawsuits, bureaucratic battles, boisterously divisive council arguments and vicious social media debates have been part of Bloomfield life for years, and intensified during Danielle Wong’s contentious time as mayor.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • Success can feel like a cruel tease, fleetingly unattainable and yet when finally achieved, too dangerous to enjoy too long.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
  • If Russia behaved badly, that was the fault of its primitive and cruel Asian side, a notion that conveniently created the fiction that Western countries are not capable of similar cruelty.
    — Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • The league's anti-hate committee was formed last year to deal with hateful and abusive online comments directed at players and the league.
    — S.E. Jenkins, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • But arguably the script by Jones and director Brunner might have been a skoosh more impactful if the small-minded townsfolk, clearly coded as bigoted MAGA types, weren’t quite so hateful with only a few exceptions.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of hateful
Adjective
  • The former Cardinal is an absolute brawler with over 90 NFL starts who brings the exact nasty, tone-setting violence this interior unit needs.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Greg and Denise are having some marital issues, but everybody needs to put other concerns aside to stay alive with nasty raptors and other hungry beasties around.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of nasty

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malignancy
malignant
malignantly
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Cite this Entry

“Malignant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malignant. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on malignant

Nglish: Translation of malignant for Spanish Speakers

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