maligned

adjective

ma·​ligned mə-ˈlīnd How to pronounce maligned (audio)
: spoken about in an injurious way : harshly or unfairly criticized
Roma, the largest ethnic minority in Eastern Europe, are perhaps the region's most misunderstood, most persecuted, and maligned minority.Carol Silverman
… an aerospace giant that built space shuttles and the much maligned, hugely expensive B-1 long-range bomber.Time

Examples of maligned in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The series was adapted into a very maligned M. Night Shyamalan movie, a successful graphic novel, and had its own live-action remake on Netflix. Chris Murphy, Vulture, 25 Feb. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of maligned was in 1613

Dictionary Entries Near maligned

Cite this Entry

“Maligned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maligned. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!