Synonyms of maligned

maligned

verb

past tense of malign

as in libeled

to make untrue and harmful statements about

a candidate who believes that it is possible to win an election without maligning anyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

• libeled
• smeared
• vilified
• humiliated
• disgraced
• slandered
• discredited
• defamed
• calumniated
• denigrated
• traduced
• disparaged
• shamed
• blackened
• aspersed
• belittled
• dishonored
• degraded
• detracted
• disdained
• humbled
• scorned
• debased
• abased

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• honored
• praised
• exalted
• glorified
• respected
• applauded
• commended
• acclaimed
• admired
• regarded
• esteemed
• revered
• worshipped
• adored
• venerated

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of maligned

Many nutrition researchers say seed oils have been unfairly maligned. — Maria Godoy, NPR, 21 July 2026

Or maybe England’s much maligned Bukayo Saka shaking off early struggles to finish with a hat trick? — Sergio Gonzalez, New York Times, 19 July 2026

Naturally, Orr grew up rooting against Kansas whenever the schools met and was much maligned by his peers for it. — Latif Love july 16, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026

But injuries quickly maligned lofty plans for the Sky, who gave up significant draft capital — including their first-round pick in 2028 — to piece together this roster. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026

Trump has repeatedly maligned Haitian immigrants, including falsely accusing Haitians living in Ohio of eating people’s pets. — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 26 June 2026

Eric Zitzewitz, another co-author of the 2008 paper and a professor at Dartmouth, suggested that while gambling-like behavior may be happening on prediction markets, the platforms may be getting unfairly maligned. — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 21 June 2026

The tangerine-hued drink may have maligned aperitivo as what Americans think of as happy hour—consuming multiple drinks before dinner—but traditionally, aperitivo is a millennia-old ritual that stems from sipping a single drink with herbal, bitter flavors to stimulate the appetite. — Jillian Dara, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026

That may be why Intel is once again looking to bring back Raptor Lake, a performative, but maligned architectural design that sucked up a lot of power to deliver its impressive gaming and productivity performance. — Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 15 June 2026