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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of malign
Daniel R. Green, Baltimore Sun, 15 Dec. 2024
Project Texas would provide for a series of audits and code reviews of the algorithm in the United States, in which U.S. actors, including engineers at Oracle Corporation, would have an opportunity to detect any malign foreign influence over the recommendations engine.
—Emily Baker-White, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024
Sam Blum, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
For decades Middle East Studies centers have been maligned as left-wing hotbeds that, in their critics’ view, are excessively hostile to Israel, overly friendly to Islam, and troublingly uninterested in terrorism.
—Lydia Kiesling, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malign
Adjective
Other necessary actions would include reducing malign economic influence, curtailing their global trade, and tightening what would likely be a robust set of sanctions.
—Daniel R. Green, Baltimore Sun, 15 Dec. 2024
Project Texas would provide for a series of audits and code reviews of the algorithm in the United States, in which U.S. actors, including engineers at Oracle Corporation, would have an opportunity to detect any malign foreign influence over the recommendations engine.
—Emily Baker-White, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024
Verb
At other times, he’s been maligned because of an inability to make 3-point shots — his worst performances aligning with BYU’s toughest losses.
—Sam Blum, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
For decades Middle East Studies centers have been maligned as left-wing hotbeds that, in their critics’ view, are excessively hostile to Israel, overly friendly to Islam, and troublingly uninterested in terrorism.
—Lydia Kiesling, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malign
Adjective
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Jose Velasquez-Martinez, 27, is charged with malicious wounding and murder in connection with 29-year-old Brandon Probst's death in Warrenton, according to the Fauquier County Sheriff's Office.—
Audrey Conklin,
FOXNews.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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There is evidence of motivated malicious actors abusing the 'verified account' to deceive users.—
Jon Brodkin,
ArsTechnica,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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As a new, inexpensive Chevrolet appeared in 1927 and The Dearborn Independent was sued for libeling a number of Jewish businessmen, Ford threw in the towel and apologized.—
George Pendle,
airmail.news,
15 Mar. 2025
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Wright got so big on social media even Piers Morgan invited her to libel Jay Z and Beyonce on his platform.—
Rob Marriott,
VIBE.com,
30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
What's particularly cruel about that reality is that after years of dealing with questions about his weight, the former Duke Blue Devil star played a career-high 70 games in 2023-24.—
Bobby Krivitsky,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
-
As poor, lost, beautiful Dorian becomes more and more shallow and cruel—with only the portrait locked away in his attic reflecting the decay of his body and soul—Williams and Snook together locate Wilde’s evocation of a particularly insidious kind of societal cancer.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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By that point the sweatshirt was smeared with their many flavors on offer: chocolate, pistachio and Biscoff.—
Kiana Hayeri,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
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Assailants have stalked them in public and smeared them online.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Softened by pride, Amber slinks away herself, albeit much more cutely than Gregory and accompanied by a vicious side-eye.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Mikal, Tonya and Jason are vicious, screaming and hurling vile truths at one another.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
30 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The critique of contract workers created the ideas of natural and unnatural immigration, so that contract workers, or unnatural immigrants, could be vilified and their exclusion justified through contrast with the opposite category, free and natural immigrants.—
Made by History,
Time,
26 Mar. 2025
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For Goldberg’s troubles, Trump officials like Hegseth responded by vilifying him and disparaging him as a journalist.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Utah has become a hateful place, guest columnist ML Cavanaugh writes.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Maryland’s Salvadoran community relives surge in hateful rhetoric When a wave of Salvadorans first migrated to Maryland, there was a stereotype that they were affiliated with gangs like MS-13, Perez said.—
Polo Sandoval,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malign. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.
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