Synonyms for malign
- verb
- adjective
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Defame — to make defamatory statements about; to slander or traduce
defame, disparage, vilify, revile, blacken, denigrate, discredit, besmirch, smear, sully, tarnish, abuse, blaspheme, depreciate, back-bite, bad-mouth, detract, traduce, wrong, stain, libel, stab
Adjective
1. Malevolent
malevolent, evil, malignant, malicious, malefic, sinister, pernicious, diabolic, baneful, hateful, spiteful, devilish, wicked, bad, maleficent, sullen, injurious, iniquitous, rancorous, dark, fell, nefarious
Other
Definitions
- v. 1
To make defamatory statements about; to slander or traduce.
- v. 2
To treat with malice; to show hatred toward; to abuse; to wrong.
- adj. 1
Evil or malignant in disposition, nature, intent or influence.
Related words
- Word family
- malignancy maligner malignment malignant
- Other spellings
- malalign
Forms
- Past participle
- maligned
e.g. maligned → defamed, disparaged, vilified, reviled…
Choose the right word
Defame, malign, rail at, revile, slander, vilify, and vituperate are used always in a bad sense.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- disparage We didn't mean to disparage our contenders.
- defame Sami didn't want to defame anyone.
- blacken Don't blacken the fridge with your dirty fingers.
- revile Love me or revile me, but do not ignore me.
By length
- 3 letters
- bad1
- 4 letters
- dark1, fell1, evil2, stab1
- 5 letters
- wrong1, abuse2, spite1, stain1, smear1, libel2, sully2
- 6 letters
- wicked2, sullen2, defame2, vilify3, revile2
- 7 letters
- hateful2, detract2, tarnish2, blacken2, malefic, baneful, traduce
- 8 letters
- sinister3, spiteful2, devilish2, diabolic, besmirch
- 9 letters
- malicious3, discredit3, malignant3, nefarious4, disparage3, denigrate3, injurious4, blaspheme, rancorous3
- 10 letters
- malevolent4, pernicious3, maleficent, depreciate4, iniquitous
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (evil2 = 2 syllables).