malign
5
7.6
- adjective
- /məˈlaɪn/
- Formal
- Her malign intentions became clear when she sabotaged the project.
- malign neglect
- malign influence
- malign intent
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Watch on YouTubeOne of them is that these are seeds of discord sown by malign foreign actors.
- One of them is that these are seeds of discord sown by malign foreign actors.
Examples
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The malign influence of the corrupt politician affected the entire community.
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All of these forces have contributed to poor economic growth and other staggeringly malign results.
Academic text (2004) -
Must be the most useless organization in the world, and with the most malign influence.
Blog text (22) -
Some participants saw a malign expression on the 'other' face and became anxious.
Blog text (17) -
How committed Iran is to this policy of malign interference, however, is unclear.
Academic text (2008) -
Networks can be as malign and deadly as they can be productive and beneficial.
Academic text (2009) -
It's a subtly malign form of tolerance.
Academic text (2012) -
Sees the United States, internally badly set up and, externally a force for malign influence.
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I don't know if that person has malign intent or is just, say, socially awkward.
Blog text (19) -
It exposes once again Iran's malign role in the region.
Synonyms
∞
1.2
Being very bad and morally wrong, often causing harm to others
158
2.6
Causing damage to people, animals or things
90
6.1
Giving a feeling that something bad will happen
83
5.8
Wanting to hurt someone or damage their good name
43
8.8
Very bad and illegal, done to harm people
28
7.2
A dangerous disease or tumor that grows, spreads, and can threaten life
22
8.0
Wanting to harm others
22
8.2
Harmful in a slow and hidden way
14
7.3
Very bad and cruel, often hurting other people
1
9.9
Being harmful or evil to people and things
1
9.1
Causing great harm or serious damage
1
9.9
Making people do wrong things and lose good values
Antonyms
How Harmful
Surface Forms
Morphology
malign = mal + ign
The prefix 'mal-' (bad) is somewhat recognizable, but the core 'ign' is not a standalone English word and the word is a borrowing, so the meaning is only partially deducible for average learners.
Etymology
Malign comes from the old root mal- meaning 'bad' or 'evil', the same mal- you see in malfunction and malicious. So a malign force is a harmful or 'bad' power, which explains the word's modern meaning.