as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
a malignant wish to lash out at everyone who was smarter, richer, or better-looking than he was
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of malignant
One study found that overall incidence of malignant appendix tumors in the United States more than doubled from 2000 to 2016 — and the diagnosis increases were highest among younger age groups.
—
Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 10 June 2025
According to a GoFundMe page set up in her name, Phelan was eventually diagnosed with a grade 4 malignant brain tumor that was categorized as a glioma — a growth of cells that starts in the brain or spinal cord, according to the Mayo Clinic.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 25 May 2025
Further testing turned out that the tumor was malignant.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 May 2025
Phelan graduated high school in May 2024, and days before starting her freshman year of college, was diagnosed with an inoperable stage 4 malignant brain tumor, a GoFundMe for her states.
—Viola Flowers, NBC news, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for malignant
Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 10 June 2025
According to a GoFundMe page set up in her name, Phelan was eventually diagnosed with a grade 4 malignant brain tumor that was categorized as a glioma — a growth of cells that starts in the brain or spinal cord, according to the Mayo Clinic.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 25 May 2025
Further testing turned out that the tumor was malignant.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 May 2025
Phelan graduated high school in May 2024, and days before starting her freshman year of college, was diagnosed with an inoperable stage 4 malignant brain tumor, a GoFundMe for her states.
—Viola Flowers, NBC news, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for malignant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malignant
Adjective
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Deepfakes have been growing more sophisticated in recent years, in addition to being increasingly deployed for malicious purposes.—
Shannon Bond,
NPR,
10 July 2025
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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The author presents a vicious takedown of George Washington.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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Stanton, demonstrating that there’s still plenty of power in his vicious swing, sent the pitch 401 feet the other way at 106.1 mph.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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Politics remains a cruel business and the governor has been on the frontline of it for nearly 20 years, winning and losing.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
5 July 2025
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They were joined by actors playing the contestants, who lurched along wearing expressions of exaggerated horror, as though the cruel stakes of the game had just been revealed to them.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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Hoxton Grove Estate is shrouded in bad vibes, from Jess’s fighting neighbors — a group of women who have been, by turns, loving and hateful toward each other all season, their intensity coming to a head when one of them is seduced by the other’s boyfriend — to Felix’s lethargy.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
11 July 2025
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Being a private equity venture, Substack directly profits from its creators, hateful and hopeful alike.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Her somewhat implausible problem is that her bad feelings—her irritation, her boredom—never register as such because of her beauty, her wealth, and her pedigree; so great is her beauty that even her nastiest moods feel like a sunny glow to others.—
Claire Jarvis,
New Yorker,
8 July 2025
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But use kind humor, not nasty or deprecating humor.—
Davia Temin,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malignant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malignant. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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