malignadjective
uk/məˈlaɪn/us/məˈlaɪn/formalcausing or intending to cause harm or evil:
Foreign domination had a malign influence on local politics.
She describes pornography as "a malign industry".
Synonym
evil
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Unkind, cruel & unfeeling
- acerbic
- acidly
- backbite
- backbiting
- backhanded
- barbaric
- bilious
- cruelty
- cutthroat
- fiendish
- hard-hearted
- have a heart of stone idiom
- insensible
- pitiless
- remorseless
- ruthless
- sadism
- sadist
- unsympathetic
- waspish
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malignity
noun [ U ] uk/məˈlɪɡ.nə.ti/us/məˈlɪɡ.nə.t̬i/
malignverb [ T often passive ]
uk/məˈlaɪn/us/məˈlaɪn/to say false and unpleasant things about someone, or to criticize someone unfairly:
She has recently been maligned in the gossip columns of several newspapers.
Much-maligned for their derivative style, the band is nevertheless enduringly popular.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Damaging reputation
- besmirch
- black mark
- blacken
- blot
- blot your copybook idiom
- calumniate
- dog
- drag sb's name through the mire/mud idiom
- give a dog a bad name idiom
- hurl/throw/sling mud at sb idiom
- impugn
- mud
- poison
- scurrilous
- show someone in a bad light idiom
- slander
- stab
- stain
- sully
- taint
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Disapproving & criticizing