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malign. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
malign, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
malign in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
malign you have here. The definition of the word
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malign, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Middle English maligne, from Old French maligne, from Latin malignus, from malus (“bad”) + genus (“sort, kind”). Compare benign.
Pronunciation
Adjective
malign (comparative more malign, superlative most malign)
- Evil or malignant in disposition, nature, intent or influence.
1631, Francis [Bacon], “(please specify |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. , 3rd edition, London: William Rawley; rinted by J H for William Lee , →OCLC:Witchcraft may be by operation of malign spirits.
1951 February, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 119:It may be true that such running is exceptional rather than normal; there are still innumerable checks of one kind or another, many of them, alas, directly or indirectly the result of engine failures; and bad coal has often a malign influence.
- Malevolent.
- (oncology) Malignant.
a malign ulcer
Antonyms
Related terms
Translations
malevolent
- Bulgarian: зловреден (bg) (zlovreden)
- Finnish: pahantahtoinen (fi)
- German: böse (de), bösartig (de), böswillig (de), arglistig (de), grausam (de), übelwollend (de), schädlich (de), unheilvoll (de), verderblich (de), niederträchtig (de), heimtückisch (de)
- Latin: malignus
- Middle English: maligne
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Verb
malign (third-person singular simple present maligns, present participle maligning, simple past and past participle maligned)
- (transitive) To make defamatory statements about; to slander or traduce.
2018 November 18, Phil McNulty, “England 2 - 1 Croatia”, in BBC Sport:The obvious joy of England's players and supporters after that dramatic finale was another indicator that the Uefa Nations League, mocked and maligned at its inception, is capturing the public's imagination.
1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, 6th edition, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: J Bettenham, for Jonah Bowyer, , published 1727, →OCLC:To be envied and shot at; to be maligned standing, and to be despised falling.
- (transitive, archaic) To treat with malice; to show hatred toward; to abuse; to wrong.
1596 (date written; published 1633), Edmund Spenser, A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande , Dublin: Societie of Stationers, , →OCLC; republished as A View of the State of Ireland (Ancient Irish Histories), Dublin: Society of Stationers, Hibernia Press, y John Morrison, 1809, →OCLC:The people practice what mischiefs and villainies they will against private men, whom they malign by stealing their goods, or murdering them.
Synonyms
Translations
slander or traduce; to make defamatory statements about
Anagrams
Middle English
Adjective
malign
- Alternative form of maligne
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
From Latin malignus.
Adjective
malign (masculine and feminine malign, neuter malignt, definite singular and plural maligne)
- (medicine) malignant
References
- “malign” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
- “malign” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From Latin malignus.
Adjective
malign (neuter malignt, definite singular and plural maligne)
- (medicine) malignant
Romanian
Alternative forms
Adjective
malign m or n (feminine singular malignă, masculine plural maligni, feminine and neuter plural maligne)
- (medicine) malign
- Antonym: benign
- (rare, dated) evil
- Synonym: răutăcios
Declension
Swedish
Adjective
malign (not comparable)
- (medicine) malignant
- Synonym: elakartad
- Antonyms: benign, godartad
malignt melanom- malignant melanoma
Declension
Inflection of malign
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Indefinite
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Positive
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Comparative
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Superlative2
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Common singular
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malign
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Neuter singular
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malignt
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Plural
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maligna
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Masculine plural3
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maligne
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Definite
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Positive
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Comparative
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Superlative
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Masculine singular1
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maligne
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All
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maligna
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1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. 3) Dated or archaic
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References