malign
adjective
[ məˈlʌɪn ]
• evil in nature or effect.
• "she had a strong and malign influence"
Similar:
harmful,
evil,
bad,
baleful,
hostile,
inimical,
destructive,
malevolent,
evil-intentioned,
malignant,
injurious,
spiteful,
malicious,
vicious,
malefic,
maleficent,
malign
verb
• speak about (someone) in a spitefully critical manner.
• "don't you dare malign her in my presence"
Similar:
defame,
slander,
libel,
smear,
run a smear campaign against,
vilify,
speak ill of,
spread lies about,
accuse falsely,
cast aspersions on,
run down,
misrepresent,
calumniate,
traduce,
denigrate,
disparage,
slur,
derogate,
abuse,
revile,
bad-mouth,
knock,
drag through the mud/mire,
throw/sling/fling mud at,
do a hatchet job on,
rubbish,
slag off,
asperse,
vilipend,
Origin:
Middle English: via Old French maligne (adjective), malignier (verb), based on Latin malignus ‘tending to evil’, from malus ‘bad’.
