malign

/mə-ˈlīn/

Middle English maligne, from Anglo-French, from Latin malignus, from male badly + gignere to beget

adjective

  1. evil in nature, influence, or effect : injurious

  2. malignant, virulent

  3. having or showing intense often vicious ill will : malevolent

the malign effects of illicit drugs

a malign lesion

sinister baleful malign mean seriously threatening evil or disaster. sinister suggests a general or vague feeling of fear or apprehension on the part of the observer. baleful imputes perniciousness or destructiveness to something whether working openly or covertly.

verb

  1. to utter injuriously misleading or false reports about : speak evil of

Her supporters say that she has been unfairly maligned in the press.

malign traduce asperse vilify calumniate defame slander mean to injure by speaking ill of. malign suggests specific and often subtle misrepresentation but may not always imply deliberate lying. traduce stresses the resulting ignominy and distress to the victim.