Meaning of malign in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Verb
    1. Definitions
  3. Classifying Adjective
    1. Definitions
  4. Qualitative Adjective
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /məˈlaɪn/

    US accent Play button

    UK accent Play button

  1. Verb

    malign

    Definitions

    1. speak unfavorably about

    Examples

    • « She badmouthes her husband everywhere »

    Derived terms

  2. Classifying Adjective

    malign

    Definitions

    1. having or exerting a malignant influence

    Examples

    • « malevolent stars »
    • « a malefic force »

    Synonyms

  3. Qualitative Adjective

    malign

    Etymology

    Middle English: via Old French maligne (adjective), malignier (verb), based on Latin malignus‘tending to evil’, from malus‘bad’

    Definitions

    1. evil or harmful in nature or influence

    Examples

    • « prompted by malign motives »
    • « believed in witches and malign spirits »
    • « gave him a malign look »
    • « a malign lesion »

    Synonyms

    Antonyms

Famous quotes

  • « The real 1960s began on the afternoon of November 22, 1963. It came to seem that Kennedy's murder opened some malign trap door in American culture, and the wild bats flapped out. »
    Lance Morrow
  • « The embrace of a new technology by ordinary people leads inevitably to its embrace by people of malign intent. »
    Charles C. Mann
  • « But the first the general public learned about the discovery was the news of the destruction of Hiroshima by the atom bomb. A splendid achievement of science and technology had turned malign. Science became identified with death and destruction. »
    Joseph Rotblat

See also

Browse dictionary