DEFINITIONS

malign

[ muh-lahyn ]
/ məˈlaɪn /

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.

Content related to malign

What Does “Literally” Have To Do With “Definitely” And “Totally”?With all the hullabaloo about the figurative sense of literally, language enthusiasts have given much thought to this often maligned term. We've even discussed how the metaphorical extension of literally is nothing new—it's been around since the 1700s—but now we'd like to explore a few other adverbs and their ironic uses. I believe that recent uses of definitely and totally suggest that the linguistic development of literally is not an isolated incident, but a trend.
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The Most Surprisingly Serendipitous Words Of The DayIn Part II of our lexical stroll down memory lane (see Part I (1999–2008) here), we will be examining word selections from 2009–2018, unearthing serendipitous synchronicities and offering perspicacious perspectives into notable events and trends of the last decade.
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Words related to malign

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

Words nearby malign

malic acid, malice, malice aforethought, malicious, malicious mischief, malign, malignancy, malignant, malignant anemia, malignant bubo, malignant ciliary epithelioma

Origin of malign

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

SYNONYMS FOR malign

1 libel, calumniate; disparage; revile, abuse, vilify.
2 baneful.

ANTONYMS FOR malign

1 praise.

OTHER WORDS FROM malign

ma·lign·er, nounma·lign·ly, adverbun·ma·ligned, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for maligning

British Dictionary definitions for maligning

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