malign

[ muh-lahyn ]
/ məˈlaɪn /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR malign ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to speak harmful untruths about; speak evil of; slander; defame: to malign an honorable man.

adjective

evil in effect; pernicious; baleful; injurious: The gloomy house had a malign influence upon her usually good mood.
having or showing an evil disposition; malevolent; malicious.

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Origin of malign

1275–1325; Middle English maligne < Middle French < Latin malignus. See mal-, benign

OTHER WORDS FROM malign

ma·lign·er, nounma·lign·ly, adverbun·ma·ligned, adjective

Words nearby malign

malic acid, malice, malice aforethought, malicious, malicious mischief, malign, malignancy, malignant, malignant anemia, malignant bubo, malignant ciliary epithelioma
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to malign

sully, revile, tarnish, smear, taint, denigrate, insult, disparage, misrepresent, vilify, besmirch, defile, harm, accuse, pollute, soil, asperse, vituperate, rap, curse

Example sentences from the Web for malign

British Dictionary definitions for malign

malign
/ (məˈlaɪn) /

adjective

evil in influence, intention, or effect

verb

(tr) to slander or defame

Derived forms of malign

maligner, nounmalignly, adverb

Word Origin for malign

C14: via Old French from Latin malīgnus spiteful, from malus evil
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012