Malediction
/ˌmælɪˈdɪkʃən/
nounC2
Definition
A malediction is a word or phrase said to bring bad luck, harm, or evil to a person or thing. It is like a strong curse, often used in old stories, magic, or serious situations where someone wants to cause trouble or pain by words.
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See It in Action
A curse or magical spell meant to bring harm or bad luck
- •The old book was full of maledictions that warned readers of danger.
- •In the story, the princess was under a malediction that made her sleep for 100 years.
- •He believed someone had placed a malediction on his family.
A strong, formal curse or expression of hatred or ill will
- •The angry man shouted a malediction at his enemy before leaving.
- •Some cultures have rituals to remove maledictions from a person.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "malediction" like "curse" (A2 word), but it sounds more serious and old-fashioned, like from fairy tales or magic stories
- ✓Picture a witch or wizard saying magic words to cause bad luck or trouble for someone
- ✓It's the feeling of hearing someone say something very negative about you, hoping bad things happen
- ✓Sounds like "MAL-uh-dick-shun" → imagine a "bad" (mal) "talk" (diction means words) that can hurt like magic
- ✓In stories like fairy tales, maledictions are spells that change someone's life in a bad way (like "Sleeping Beauty" curse)
- ✓NOT like "complaint" (simple expression of unhappiness), malediction is a strong, serious wish for harm
- ✓NOT like "insult" (rude or mean words), malediction is a powerful magical or serious curse
- ✓NOT like "prayer" (wish for good), malediction is the opposite, a wish for bad
Try Other Words
- •Curse: a word or spell to cause harm or bad luck (Use in everyday or simple contexts)
- •Hex: a magical spell to bring bad luck (Use when talking about magic or witchcraft)
- •Jinx: a bad luck charm or spell (Use in informal or playful contexts)
- •Imprecation: a formal word for a spoken curse (Use in literary or formal writing)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "male-" (bad, evil) + "diction" (speaking, words)
- •Etymology: From Latin "maledictio," meaning "speaking evil" or "curse"
- •Historical development: Used since Middle Ages to describe spoken curses or evil words
- •Modern usage: Mostly found in literature, formal speech, or stories about magic and curses
- •Key insight: It is a serious, strong word for words that wish harm or bad luck on others
Reflect & Connect
•How do you think words like malediction affect people’s feelings or actions in stories or real life?
•Can a malediction be removed or changed? How might people try to do that?
Fill in the blanks
1.The witch’s malediction caused the prince to ___ into a deep sleep for years.
2.People believed the malediction was the reason for the village’s ___ luck.
3.Unlike a simple insult, a malediction is a serious ___ wishing harm on someone.
4.In fairy tales, a malediction often comes with a magical ___ that changes a person’s life.
5.The villagers performed a ritual to ___ the malediction from their land.
6.A malediction is different from a complaint because it is meant to ___ bad things, not just express unhappiness.
7.When someone speaks a malediction, they usually want to ___ someone or something with bad luck or harm.