malign

malign (məˈlaɪn)

—*adj*
1.	evil in influence, intention, or effect

—vb
2.	(tr) to slander or defame

[C14: via Old French from Latin malīgnus spiteful, from malus evil]

ma'ligner

—n

ma'lignly

—*adv*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

malign

early 14c., from O.Fr. malign "having an evil nature," from L. malignus "wicked, bad-natured," from male "badly" + -gnus "born," from gignere "to bear, beget," from PIE base *gn- "to bear" (see genus).

malign

"to slander," 1640s, from earlier more literal sense of "to plot, to contrive" (early 15c.), from O.Fr. malignier, from L. malignare "to do maliciously," from malignus (see malign (adj.)). Related: Maligned; maligning.

Example sentences

One of the malign effects of financial crises is that they impair productive

capacity, but estimates of the damage vary widely.

That has made it harder to sort malign from benign business practices.

Let's face it, there is always a chance someone with malign intent is going to

get on a plane.

The still air keeps the smoke close to the surface, exacerbating its malign

effects on health.

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defame denigrate ghost impugn magic malevolent

Matching Quote

"A sophistical rhetorician, inebriated with the exuberance of his own verbosity, and gifted with an egotistical imagination that can at all times command an interminable and inconsistent series of arguments to malign an opponent and to glorify himself."

-Benjamin Disraeli