malignant influence
1
8.2
- noun
- Many believe that social media has a malignant influence on mental health.
Examples
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There was a malignant influence at work that slowly undermined the team's morale.
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The detective suspected a malignant influence behind the town's recent troubles.
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Some believe that social media can exert a malignant influence on young people.
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The malignant influence of peer pressure can lead to poor decisions.
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The organization's malignant influence spread throughout the community, leading to distrust and division.
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Many believe that social media can have a malignant influence on young people's self-esteem and mental health.
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The senator's decision was seen as a response to the malignant influence of special interest groups in the political landscape.
Synonyms
6
5.3
A person whose bad actions harm others in a group
5
3.7
People who can make you behave badly or get into trouble
1
7.3
A person or thing that makes people dishonest
Antonyms
How Harmful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a harmful or evil effect' is directly derivable from combining 'malignant' (harmful, aggressive) with 'influence' (capacity to affect). This is a straightforward adjective+noun composition and the metaphorical extension of 'malignant' beyond medical contexts is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both words would understand the phrase.
Etymology
Malignant influence brings to mind a malignant thing, meaning dangerous and spreading, and influence as a force that affects others. Imagine a rotten apple in a barrel that slowly makes the other apples go bad. So it means a harmful power or effect that quietly 'harms' or 'damages' people or situations.