malign
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malign
- /məˈlaɪn/
Rhymes with -aɪn
Where it comes from
From Middle English maligne, from Old French maligne, from Latin malignus, from malus (“bad”) + genus (“sort, kind”). Compare benign.
adjective more malign · most malign
- Evil or malignant in disposition, nature, intent or influence. Witchcraft may be by operation of malign spirits.
- Malevolent. He was sure they [the stars] were arranged in some order which had a secret and malign significance.
- Malignant. a malign ulcer
Opposite: benign
verb maligns · maligning · maligned
-
To make defamatory statements about; to slander or traduce.
To be envied and shot at; to be maligned standing, and to be despised falling.
Similar: asperse, denigrate, libel, assassinate, backbite, badmouth, befoul, belibel, besmirch, besmear, bewray, blacken
- To treat with malice; to show hatred toward; to abuse; to wrong. The people practice what mischiefs and villainies they will against private men, whom they malign by stealing their goods, or murdering them.
Thesaurus
adjective
Opposite: benign
Translations
Every language
adj malevolent
| Deutsch | böse, bösartig, böswillig, arglistig, grausam, übelwollend |
|---|---|
| Ελληνικά | κακόβουλος kakóvoulos |
adj evil or malignant
| Português | maligno |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | böse, böswillig, übel, schlimm, schlecht |
| Ελληνικά | κακοήθης kakoḯthis |
| Română | malign |
verb slander or traduce; to make defamatory statements about
| Español | malignar (desus.) |
|---|---|
| Français | vilipender, injurier |
| Deutsch | schlechtmachen, verleumden, lästern, Übles nachsagen |
| Română | defăima |
Talk about this word "malign." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/malign. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. malign. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/malign "malign." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/malign.Cite this
@misc{malign_2026,
title = {malign},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/malign},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
