malign
4
7.6
- adjective
- /məˈlaɪn/
- Formal
:
maligno
- Her malign intentions became clear when she sabotaged the project.
- malign neglect
- malign influence
- malign intent
One 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
-
The malign influence of the corrupt politician affected the entire community.
-
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.
-
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
161
2.6
Causing damage to people, animals or things
89
5.8
Wanting to hurt someone or damage their good name
87
6.1
Giving a feeling that something bad will happen
47
8.8
Very bad and illegal, done to harm people
45
7.2
A dangerous disease or tumor that grows, spreads, and can threaten life
23
8.2
Harmful in a slow and hidden way
22
8.0
Wanting to harm others
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
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.