Malign: meaning, example and synonyms
Malignv. To speak harmful and untrue things about someone; to slander.
Example
The pamphleteers maligned the reform-minded engineer, falsely claiming that her bridge designs had been copied from a rival firm.
- Part of speech
- verb
- Synonyms
- slander, defame, vilify, disparage
- Antonyms
- praise, commend, extol, defend
- Memory tip
- MAL = bad (as in malice): saying bad, false things about someone.
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Check yourself: Malign in context
Jealous rivals ______ the young chemist in anonymous letters, falsely accusing her of fabricating the data that had won her the prize.
Answer: maligned. Spreading false accusations about someone is to malign her. attenuated (weaken), subsumed (absorb into a larger whole) and preempted (act first to forestall) don't fit this context.
Although wolves have long been ______ as bloodthirsty killers in folklore, field studies show that they rarely attack people and play a vital role in ecosystems.
Answer: maligned. Unfairly portraying wolves as bloodthirsty means they have been maligned. preempted (act first to forestall), subsumed (absorb into a larger whole) and attenuated (weaken) don't fit this context.