[ma.lign] adj [ME maligne, fr. MF, fr. L malignus, fr. male badly + gignere to beget--more at mal-, kin] (14c) 1 a: evil in nature, influence, or effect: injurious b: malignant, virulent
2: having or showing intense often vicious ill will: malevolent syn see sinister -- ma.lign.ly adv
[2]malign vt [ME, fr. MF maligner to act maliciously, fr. LL malignari, fr. L malignus] (15c): to utter injuriously misleading or false reports about: speak evil of syn malign, traduce, asperse, vilify, calumniate, defame, slander mean to injure by speaking ill of. malign suggests specific and often subtle misrepresentation but may not always imply deliberate lying "the most maligned monarch in British history". traduce stresses the resulting ignominy and distress to the victim "so traduced the governor that he was driven from office". asperse implies continued attack on a reputation often by indirect or insinuated detraction "both candidates aspersed the other's motives". vilify implies attempting to destroy a reputation by open and direct abuse "no criminal was more vilified in the press". calumniate imputes malice to the speaker and falsity to the assertions "falsely calumniated as a traitor". defame stresses the actual loss of or injury to one's good name "sued them for defaming her reputation". slander stresses the suffering of the victim "town gossips slandered their good name".