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Glite Dictionary
🦠 Serious disease 😈 Evil intent
malignance

malignance

9.7
A strong wish to hurt other people
  • noun
  • /məˈlɪɡnəns/
  • Literature
translation icon : malevolencia
  • The malignance in his tone suggested he harbored deep-seated resentment.

Examples

  • Her malignance was clear as she plotted to ruin her rival's reputation.

  • For long moments, they eyed each other with a crackling malignance.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • How on earth can an insurer even stoop to this life-wrecking level of malignance?

    Blog text (3)

  • The malignance behind his actions became evident when he sabotaged her project.

Synonyms

malevolence
vsmalignance
8 8.8

A feeling of wanting to harm other people

is a general evil disposition rather than only wishing harm
malignancy
vsmalignance
  • Formal
1 8.4

A strong wish to harm others or make their lives worse

covers general evil nature rather than only extreme harmfulness
malignity
vsmalignance
1 9.9

A strong wish to hurt or cause pain to other people

is the general quality of being evil rather than focused desire
malintent
vsmalignance
  • Formal
1 9.3

An intention to harm someone or act for bad reasons

is the general evil quality rather than only a harmful intention
malignant nature
vsmalignance
  • Specialized
9.7

A very harmful and cruel way of being that hurts other people

is broader applying to overall evil state not just a trait
malignant influence
vsmalignance
8.2

A harmful effect that slowly damages people or groups

is an inner evil quality not an external damaging effect

Antonyms

goodness
82 1.0

Kind, honest, and fair behaviour in a person

benevolence
16 6.1

Kind feelings and actions that help other people

How Evil

evil
∞ 3.0
malignance
  • Literature
9.7
malevolence
8 8.8
spite
322 4.4
mischief
34 2.7

Surface Forms

malignance singular
malignances plural

Morphology

malignance = malignant (semi-transparent) = malign + ance

The word is built from the malignant/malign- family plus -ance, but the abstract sense of 'malevolence' is less predictable and somewhat lexicalized.

Etymology

Malignance meaning evil or ill will also comes from the root mal- 'bad' and the idea of being malign or 'bad-natured', like the word malicious. So malignance is the quality of being deeply 'bad' or wanting to harm others.