MALIGN Synonyms: 127 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'malign' different from other adjectives like it?

The words baleful and sinister are common synonyms of malign . While all three words mean "seriously threatening evil or disaster," malign applies to what is inherently evil or harmful. // the malign effects of racism

Q: When could 'baleful' be used to replace 'malign'?

In some situations, the words baleful and malign are roughly equivalent. However, baleful imputes perniciousness or destructiveness to something whether working openly or covertly. // exerting a corrupt and baleful influence

Q: When would 'sinister' be a good substitute for 'malign'?

The synonyms sinister and malign are sometimes interchangeable, but sinister suggests a general or vague feeling of fear or apprehension on the part of the observer. // a sinister aura haunts the place

malign 1 of 2

adjective

mə-ˈlīn

Definition of malign next

as in malicious

having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it both parties to the divorce showed a malign desire to make each other's future life utterly miserable

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

malign

2 of 2

verb

as in to libel

to make untrue and harmful statements about a candidate who believes that it is possible to win an election without maligning anyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How is the word malign different from other adjectives like it?

The words baleful and sinister are common synonyms of malign. While all three words mean "seriously threatening evil or disaster," malign applies to what is inherently evil or harmful.

the malign effects of racism

When could baleful be used to replace malign?

In some situations, the words baleful and malign are roughly equivalent. However, baleful imputes perniciousness or destructiveness to something whether working openly or covertly.

exerting a corrupt and baleful influence

When would sinister be a good substitute for malign?

The synonyms sinister and malign are sometimes interchangeable, but sinister suggests a general or vague feeling of fear or apprehension on the part of the observer.

a sinister aura haunts the place

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of malign

Adjective

This is the president who spent his first year in office delaying missile tests so as not to provoke Russia, and who couldn’t bring himself to kill a malign Russian pipeline project that would have put a noose around Ukraine’s stability and security. —

The Editors, National Review, 10 Nov. 2023 In the context of Oxford in the early 1980s, that meant arguing that American influence on the world was not entirely malign. —

Gene Maddaus, Variety, 12 Sep. 2023

Verb

Sohn-Rethel’s thinking briefly came back into fashion in the sixties, when it was revived by the same left-wing students at Frankfurt who maligned his former mentor Adorno as an insufficient supporter of the protests of 1968. —

Thomas Meaney, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024 Representatives of the industry in which Gensler has become so maligned are now helping to pick out his successor, sources tell WIRED. —

Makena Kelly, WIRED, 26 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for malign

Recent Examples of Synonyms for malign

Adjective

Four vulnerabilities in WebKit were fixed in iOS 18.2, allowing memory corruption if you were persuaded to interact with malicious web content.

Kate O'Flaherty, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.

Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 11 Dec. 2024