Definitions for: Malign


[adj] having or exerting a malignant influence; "malevolent stars"; "a malefic force"
[adj] 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"
[v] speak unfavorably about; "She badmouthes her husband everywhere"



Webster (1913) Definition: 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.

Witchcraft may be by operation of malign spirits.
--Bacon.

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

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


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.]

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

2. To speak great evil of; to traduce; to defame; to slander;
to vilify; to asperse.

To be envied and shot at; to be maligned standing,
and to be despised falling. --South.


Ma*lign", v. i.
To entertain malice. [Obs.]

Synonyms: badmouth, cancerous, drag through the mud, evil, harmful, injurious, malefic, maleficent, malevolent, malignant, traduce

Antonyms: benign, benignant

See Also: asperse, besmirch, calumniate, defame, denigrate, malicious, slander, smear, smirch, sully, unkind

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