Malign
/məˈlaɪn/noun
To speak about someone in a spitefully critical manner.
Did you know?Throughout history, maligning someone was often seen as a form of witchcraft, harnessing the power of language to curse or harm.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*male
“bad, evil”
Latin
Latin
malignus
“evil, wicked, ill-disposed”
Old French
Old French
malin
“wicked, malicious”
Middle English
Middle English
malignen
“to speak evil of, slander”
Modern English
English
malign
“to defame or speak ill of someone”
Explore more surprising origins