malign

Verb · Adjective
Synonyms: badmouthtraducedrag through the mudmaleficmalevolentevil

WordNet 3.0

Verb (1)

  1. speak unfavorably about“She badmouths her husband everywhere”Synonyms: badmouthtraducedrag through the mud

Adjective (2)

  1. evil or harmful in nature or influence“prompted by malign motives”“believed in witches and malign spirits”“gave him a malign look”“a malign lesion”
  2. having or exerting a malignant influence“malevolent stars”“a malefic force”Synonyms: maleficmalevolentevil
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

malign \ma*lign"\, a. [L. malignus, for maligenus, i. e., of a bad kind or nature; malus bad + the root of genus birth, race, kind: cf. F. malin, masc., maligne, fem. See Malice, Gender, and cf. Benign, Malignant.]

1.Having an evil disposition toward others; harboring violent enmity; malevolent; malicious; spiteful; -- opposed to benign. [1913 Webster]

Witchcraft may be by operation of malign spirits.— Bacon.[1913 Webster]

2.Unfavorable; unpropitious; pernicious; tending to injure; as, a malign aspect of planets. [1913 Webster]

3.Malignant; as, a malign ulcer. [R.] --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

Malign \Ma*lign"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Maligned; p. pr. & vb. n. Maligning.] [Cf. L. malignare. See Malign, a.] To treat with malice; to show hatred toward; to abuse; to wrong; to injure. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

The people practice what mischiefs and villainies they will against private men, whom they malign by stealing their goods, or murdering them. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]

2.To speak great evil of; to traduce; to defame; to slander; to vilify; to asperse. [1913 Webster]

To be envied and shot at; to be maligned standing, and to be despised falling.— South.[1913 Webster]
Malign \Ma*lign"\, v. i. To entertain malice. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Malignance
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