Word of the Day

: October 14, 2007

malign

verb muh-LYNE

What It Means

: to utter injuriously misleading or false reports about : speak evil of

malign in Context

Critics have relentlessly maligned the mayor since rumors of bribery surfaced, even though she has successfully revitalized the downtown shopping district.

Did You Know?

When a word's got "mal-" in it, it's no good. That prefix traces to the Latin word "malus" (which means "bad"), and it puts the negative vibes in "malign" and a host of other English words. You can see it in "malpractice" (bad medical practice) and "malady" (a bad condition, such as a disease or illness, of the body or mind). A "malefactor" is someone guilty of bad deeds, and "malice" is a desire to cause injury, pain, or distress to another person. Other "mal-" formed words include "malaise," "malcontent," "maladroit," "malodorous," and "malnourished."