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
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Fleming was charged with one count of malicious assault, with the sheriff's department adding that more charges are possible in the future.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
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Cole was charged with one count of unlawfully transporting an explosive device with a plan either to kill, injure, or intimidate a person or to unlawfully destroy property, and a second count of malicious destruction or attempt to destroy with an explosive device.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Compared with a vicious online duel, this conflict is hard to dramatize.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
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Ejiofor, the Big East Player of the Year, snatched the momentum with a rare 3-pointer from the top of the key before a vicious block on Demary, which led to a flashy dunk from Dillon Mitchell (nine points, nine rebounds, two steals).—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The $31 million stopgap measure overrides a cruel funding cut by the state Department of Health and, for now, avoids a potential life-or-death situation for about 11,000 people in Florida.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
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But the love between cruel people is a real love, too.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But there also are fears that the focus on Israel is the leading edge of an antisemitic fringe that has gained ground by portraying Jews as shadowy manipulators, echoing some of history's most hateful tropes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
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Dark humor and action are contrasted with the hateful rhetoric of the government and the indifference of the fictional show’s producers to create a unique proposition on the international TV market.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Based on a tragic true-life incident, director Joe Carnahan's survival thriller stars Zachary Levi as one of four friends who head out on a fishing expedition and their boat capsizes in a nasty storm.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
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Murder by Numbers is an entertainingly nasty thriller about two high-schoolers, popular Richard (Gosling) and introverted Justin (Michael Pitt), who plan the perfect murder and frame a local drug dealer for it.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Malignant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malignant. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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