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
Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
Brown said he is being unfairly maligned.
—Justin Wingerter, The Denver Post, 21 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
This approach was widely maligned at the time; the term sexposition was even coined as a derogatory marker of moments when backstories and backsides collided.
—Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
Brown said he is being unfairly maligned.
—Justin Wingerter, The Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malign
Adjective
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These emails might include malicious links designed to install malware or steal login information.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
FOXNews.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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Time to update: Apple has discovered hackers exploiting an iOS bug via malicious media files.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
16 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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Please ask your daughter to stop libeling Miss Manners.—
Judith Martin,
The Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Such evidence could support the view that incessant loud noise amounts to torture or cruel treatment towards cetaceans, in turn galvanizing support for a new right to be free from such harm.—
David Gruber,
Time,
24 Apr. 2025
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But this is the cruel and unreasonable state of this Administration's deportation policy.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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They were usually surrounded by toddlers, soiling their pull-ups while smeared with frosting.—
Dan Ewen,
Deadline,
18 Apr. 2025
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Coogler opens with traumatized sharecropper Sammie (impressive newcomer Miles Caton), smeared with blood and fresh claw marks gouged into the side of his face, staggering mid-service into the church where his father preaches, clutching his guitar.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This was a vicious weaponization of your government.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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Shauna may be the vicious Antler Queen now, but Lottie also played a role in Mari’s death.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
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And as rollbacks to DEI initiatives continue by the White House, which has removed Spanish-language versions of informational messaging and instituted policy that vilifies other languages, Latinos will suffer as a consequence.—
Alex Zaragoza,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2025
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Related article Transgender Awareness Week reveals a community in crisis Trans activists across the globe warn that the fierce public debate over their private lives has chipped away at protection for the marginalized and regularly vilified community in recent years.—
Sana Noor Haq,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The antisemitic charge is a slur in its own right, tainting a broad range of institutions with a single hateful brush.—
Jonathan Zimmerman,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2025
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Prater, a graduate student in her first season with the Bulldogs, appeared to disable her comment section on some of her Instagram posts after facing an influx of hateful messages following the devastating injury Watkins suffered in the first half of their second round game.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malign. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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