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Malign
To speak ill of; slander; defame; vilify.
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Imagine This
Candidates vilify their opponents during political campaigns, which is a bad sign morally.
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Sounds Like
muh-LINE
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Looks Like
mal (bad) + sign
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Remember This
The prefix mal- means 'bad'; malign derives from Latin malignus, related to other 'bad' words like malice and malignant.
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Other Forms
malignantadjective
malignancynoun
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Connect With
slander, defame, libel, smear, calumniate
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Note
Malign means to speak ill about someone; it does not refer to physical harm. It is distinct from malignant (adj.) meaning dangerous or harmful, and from malignancy (noun).
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The politician maligned his opponent with unverified accusations.
- The tabloid maligned the actress with baseless rumors.
Synonyms
slanderdefamevilifycalumniatesmear
Antonyms
praiselaudcommend
Etymology
From Latin malignus 'bad, harmful', via Old French maligner to English; the root mal- means 'bad'.
Mnemonic
MAL-IGN: mal means bad, and 'ign' hints at 'sign'—a bad sign that you are about to speak ill of someone.
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Exacerbate
verbTo make something worse; to aggravate or intensify a problem or situation.
Abolish
verbTo formally end or repeal a system, practice, or institution; to officially put an end to something established.
Discredit
verbTo harm or damage someone's reputation or credibility; to cause others to doubt or distrust.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Defame
verbTo damage or ruin someone's reputation by making false statements or presenting them in a harmful way; to slander.
Abandon
verbTo give up completely, to desert or leave behind, or to relinquish a claim, plan, or responsibility.
Abate
verbTo decrease in amount or intensity; to reduce or end something.
Abolish
verbTo formally end or repeal a system, practice, or institution; to officially put an end to something established.
Abridge
verbTo shorten (a text, speech, or other work) by omitting parts; to condense.
Abscond
verbTo depart secretly or flee, especially to avoid detection or arrest.
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