as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
a malignant wish to lash out at everyone who was smarter, richer, or better-looking than he was
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of malignant
Mancini then missed the 2020 season after surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his colon.
—
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Zombie cucumbers Back in 1951, doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore took a sample of a malignant cervical tumor from Henrietta Lacks, a 31-year-old mother of five.
—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
Their media empire may be a malignant blight on the world, but their vulnerabilities gave the show depth and tonal variety.
—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
17 May 2026
The therapist conceals her own malignant vices behind smiles and warmth, and the two share secrets that neither is prepared for.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for malignant
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Zombie cucumbers Back in 1951, doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore took a sample of a malignant cervical tumor from Henrietta Lacks, a 31-year-old mother of five.
—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
Their media empire may be a malignant blight on the world, but their vulnerabilities gave the show depth and tonal variety.
—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
17 May 2026
The therapist conceals her own malignant vices behind smiles and warmth, and the two share secrets that neither is prepared for.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for malignant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malignant
Adjective
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According to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office, 37-year-old Adam Mazur-Baker was arraigned Tuesday on one count of using a computer to commit a crime and one count of malicious use of telecommunications services.
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This command executes malicious code inside the AppleScript directly.
Adjective
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This vicious machine chewed him up and spit him out in predictable fashion.
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The mood changed a bit when Tab Ramos took a vicious elbow to the side of his head and fractured his skull.
Adjective
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Swift moved on from one Brit to the next, quietly dating actor Joe Alwyn from 2017 to 2023, while the world spent back-to-back cruel summers without Taymerica.
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This is particularly gratifying given the absurd and cruel trolling the young actress received from the toxic corners of internet fandom leading up to the film’s release.
Adjective
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Social media sites used for hateful comments Pumphrey made threatening posts on the social media platform YouTube and other social media sites, according to the guilty plea.
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Political podcasters such as Tucker Carlson peddle conspiracies and lies, and there seems to be little consequence for hateful rhetoric.
Adjective
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Including some rather nasty, big corpo bullies who enlist specialist teams to hunt down clues, and other players, too.
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Betty Kovacs, the eldest daughter of comedian Ernie Kovacs who with her sister Kippie and stepmother, actress-singer Edie Adams, was at the center of a nasty custody battle that kept Hollywood riveted in 1962, has died.
Cite this Entry
“Malignant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malignant. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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