malign
muh-LYNE
/məˈlaɪn/
To speak about someone in a spitefully critical manner; evil in nature or effect.
As a verb, malign implies a deliberate, systematic attempt to destroy someone's reputation. As an adjective, it describes something harmful or malevolent.
The story behind the word. From the Old French 'maligne', which comes from the Latin 'malignus' (wicked, malicious). This Latin word is a compound of 'malus' (bad) and the root of 'gignere' (to produce or beget), literally meaning 'born to do evil'.
Word relationships
- defame: Defame is a legalistic term, whereas malign is broader and can refer to personal, non-legal attacks on character.
- laud: Laud means to praise highly, which is the exact opposite of maligning someone.
Commonly confused with
- malignant: Malignant is typically used in medical contexts (e.g., a tumor) or to describe intense active ill-will, while malign is more commonly used as a verb meaning to speak ill of.
Word family
- maligner (noun): A person who maligns others.
Collocations
- malign influence
- malign character
- falsely malign
Example sentences
- "She was careful not to malign her rivals, choosing instead to focus on her own qualifications." Professional ethics
Memory hook
Malign starts with 'Mal', which means bad or evil (like malfunction or malice). Mal- (bad) + align (to line up bad words against someone).
When not to use
Do not use malign for constructive criticism or accidental insults.
Fun facts
- The word 'malign' is etymologically related to 'benign' (kindly), which comes from 'bene' (well) and 'gignere' (to produce).
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