MALIGNANT Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

malignant

adjective

mə-ˈlig-nənt

Definition of malignant

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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 Cannon, who has 12 children, announced on a December 2021 episode of his talk show that Zen, his seventh child, had died of brain cancer, just three months after doctors discovered a malignant tumor and fluid building in his head. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 26 June 2026 Mancini then missed the 2020 season after surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his colon. — Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026 Zombie cucumbers Back in 1951, doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore took a sample of a malignant cervical tumor from Henrietta Lacks, a 31-year-old mother of five. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for malignant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for malignant

Adjective

On this occasion, OpenAI appears to have been transparent about its involvement in the incident and is working alongside Hugging Face to respond, but defenders need to prepare for a world where such tools are in the hands of openly malicious actors.

— Tim Keary, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Skubal did not say those words about the MRI and the arbitration hearing with any malicious tone.

— Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Definition of malicious

Adjective

Harbaugh had tense standoffs with legacy defenders Ed Reed, Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs and, during the 2012 season, held a sitdown with his players to address their vicious and personal attacks on his approach.

— Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 22 July 2026
The film also shows Maddox and her father in a vicious argument inside her car that illustrates the fracturing of their once-close bond.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026

Definition of vicious

Adjective

Gomez has endured a lengthy list of cruel setbacks during his 11-year Liverpool career and faces a wait to learn the extent of his latest injury.

— James Pearce, New York Times, 26 July 2026
Obsessed with recovering her fortune, Magdalen’s uses of disguise and performance become manipulative, treacherous, and even cruel.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026

Definition of cruel

Adjective

Look the steady coarsening of American civic and political culture and the ways in which the once-outrageous—the bilious, hateful rhetoric and the creeping authoritarianism—have become almost ordinary.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
Although Fang was charged in a single incident, authorities allege the defendant was responsible for a string of hateful messages found across the Northern California campus.

— Seamus Bozeman, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026

Definition of hateful

Adjective

In Michigan alone, more than 7,000 have fallen ill with the nasty foodborne disease, which causes severe diarrhea, and comes from exposure to a parasite in contaminated water used to wash or irrigate crops.

— Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Europe has been consumed by a nasty fire season this year, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).

— Max Saltman, CNN Money, 22 July 2026

Definition of nasty

Browse Nearby Words

malignancy

malignant

malignantly

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Malignant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malignant. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of malignant

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on malignant

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

parochial

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples

Popular in Wordplay

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes