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MALIGN
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Having or exerting a malignant influence
Example:
a malefic force
Synonyms:
evil; malefic; malevolent; malign
Classified under:
Similar:
maleficent (harmful or evil in intent or effect)
Derivation:
malignity (quality of being disposed to evil; intense ill will)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Evil or harmful in nature or influence
Example:
a malign lesion
Classified under:
Similar:
cancerous (like a cancer; an evil that grows and spreads)
Also:
maleficent (harmful or evil in intent or effect)
harmful (causing or capable of causing harm)
unkind (lacking kindness)
Attribute:
malignance; malignancy; malignity (quality of being disposed to evil; intense ill will)
Antonym:
benign (pleasant and beneficial in nature or influence)
II. (verb)
Verb forms
Present simple: I / you / we / they malign ... he / she / it maligns
Past simple: maligned
Past participle: maligned
-ing form: maligning
Sense 1
Meaning:
Speak unfavorably about
Example:
She badmouths her husband everywhere
Synonyms:
badmouth; drag through the mud; malign; traduce
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Hypernyms (to "malign" is one way to...):
asperse; besmirch; calumniate; defame; denigrate; slander; smear; smirch; sully (charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Derivation:
maligner (one who attacks the reputation of another by slander or libel)
malignment (slanderous defamation)
