MALIGNED Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

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

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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 maligned Introduced in the 1960s and 1970s, the much maligned CanCon has proven one of the few barriers to total American media dominance that Canada (a nation where the vast majority of the population live within miles of the border) has been able to put in place. —

Dominic Patten, Deadline, 21 May 2026 Jarrett Allen, much maligned for past playoff struggles, dominated the Pistons with 23 points, seven rebounds, completely outmatching Detroit’s Jalen Duren. —

Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 18 May 2026 Scottish weather is much maligned, but our summers are sublime, and the long daylight feels like a real luxury. —

Riza Cruz, Vogue, 11 May 2026 While Nelson Mandela became South Africa's first Black president and a global icon – having spent 27 years in jail for his role in the fight against apartheid – his wife Winnie, who was arguably just as instrumental in that fight, has been widely maligned. —

Kate Bartlett, NPR, 2 May 2026 Trump has repeatedly maligned Haitian immigrants, including falsely accusing Haitians living in Ohio of eating people’s pets. —

Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026 At times, it’s seemed futile, as the Royals’ beleaguered offense and maligned bullpen let them down. —

Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026 Many trainers of that era maligned Islam and backed policies that violated the rights of ordinary American Muslims in the name of counterterrorism, according to civil liberties watchdogs. —

Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 21 Apr. 2026 Tucci, who reprises his role as Miranda’s right-hand man Nigel Kipling, opted for Giorgio Armani, while his real life sister-in-law Blunt, who plays the oft maligned first assistant Emily Charlton, looked gorgeous in Schiaparelli spring 2026 couture. —

Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 21 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for maligned

Verb

His windshield is smeared with the dust of a lengthy road journey.

— Jessica Kiang, Variety, 22 May 2026
But the pigment and gum are largely invisible, because harding and Upkett smeared them with white paint used by the Carnegie Museum to cover its walls.

— Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 12 May 2026