malediction
noun
Sir Walter Scott 
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Malediction, which at one time could also refer to slander or to the condition of being reviled or slandered, derives (via Middle English and Late Latin) from the Latin verb maledicere, meaning "to speak evil of" or "to curse." "Maledicere," in turn, was formed by combining the Latin words male, meaning "badly," and "dicere," "to speak" or "to say." You may recognize both of those component parts, as each has made a significant contribution to the English language. "Male" is the ancestor of such words as "malady," "malevolent," and "malign"; "dicere" gives us "contradict," "dictate," "diction," "edict" and "prediction," just to name a few.
Synonyms
- anathema
- ban
- curse
- execration
- imprecation
- malison
- winze [Scottish]
Example Sentences
Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 2 June 2021 But perhaps the malediction presently heaped upon them will give them pause in the future. Winston Groom, WSJ, 4 Dec. 2018 Their language seemed perfectly suited for songs and maledictions. Linda Kinstler, Longreads, 27 June 2018 Word History
Middle English malediccioun, from Late Latin malediction-, maledictio, from maledicere to curse, from Latin, to speak evil of, from male badly + dicere to speak, say — more at mal-, diction
14th century, in the meaning defined above
malediction
noun
Synonyms & Similar Words
- curse
- imprecation
- condemnation
- denunciation
- damnation
- excommunication
- censure
- execration
- ban
- winze
- anathema
- spell
- malison
- voodoo
- jinx
- pox
- hoodoo
- whammy
- mojo
- hex
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- blessing
- benediction
- benison
- endorsement
- citation
- indorsement
- commendation