Malign
/məˈlaɪn/
verbadjectiveC1
Definition
As a verb, "malign" means to speak about someone in a way that is untrue or unfair, often to damage their reputation. As an adjective, it describes something that is harmful, evil, or causing damage. It is a stronger and more formal word than just saying "bad."
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See It in Action
Verb: To speak badly or unfairly about someone
- •She was maligned by the press after the misunderstanding.
- •It is wrong to malign others without knowing the facts.
- •The politician was maligned by his opponents during the election.
Adjective: Describing something harmful or evil
- •The malign influence of the virus spread quickly through the population.
- •They warned about the malign effects of pollution on health.
- •His malign intent was clear in the way he treated his workers.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "malign" like "bad" (A1 word), but with the meaning of actively saying or being harmful, not just describing
- ✓Picture dark clouds spreading over a sunny sky, making everything look worse and sadder
- ✓It's the feeling when someone spreads rumors or says mean things that hurt others deeply
- ✓Sounds like "ma-LINE" → imagine a sharp line cutting through a friendly picture, making it look bad
- ✓In stories, villains often malign heroes by telling lies or causing harm to their name
- ✓NOT like "criticize" (which can be fair or helpful), "malign" means to say bad things with bad intentions
- ✓NOT like "harm" (which is action), "malign" can be words or ideas that damage someone’s image or health
- ✓NOT like "negative" (which can be just a mood), "malign" is active and strong harm, either in speech or effect
Try Other Words
- •Defame: to say false and harmful things about someone (Use when talking about damage to reputation)
- •Harmful: causing damage or hurt (Use when describing something physically or emotionally bad)
- •Evil: very bad or morally wrong (Use when describing strong moral badness)
- •Slander: to say false things to damage someone's reputation (Use in legal or formal contexts)
Unboxing
- •Prefix: none; Root: "mal-" meaning bad or evil (from Latin)
- •Etymology: From Latin "malignare," meaning to speak ill or be evil
- •Historical development: Used in English since the 1400s to mean speaking badly or being harmful
- •Modern usage: Used in formal or literary language to describe harmful speech or evil nature
- •Key insight: Connects to the idea of "mal-" as bad or evil combined with action or description
Reflect & Connect
•How does the word "malign" change the meaning when used as a verb versus an adjective?
•Can you think of a time when someone was maligned unfairly? How did that affect them?
Fill in the blanks
1.People often malign others when they want to ___ their reputation or cause trouble.
2.The malign effects of smoking on health are well known and serious.
3.Unlike honest criticism, to malign someone means to say ___ or unfair things.
4.The politician was maligned ___ his opponents during the election campaign.
5.When something is malign, it usually causes ___ or damage over time.
6.It is wrong to malign others without ___ the full story or facts.
7.The company denied the malign rumors that were spread about its products.