mal-, male-, mali-

A desire to injure or to seriously harm another person: There was a report that three teenagers shot and killed a man out of pure malice as he was jogging by the road for exercise in Duncan, Oklahoma, on Friday, August 16, 2013.

The excuse for their malice was that they were "bored" and so, according to a police official, they shot the 22 year-old Australian student "just for the fun of it".

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A reference to people or actions and behaviors that tend to be vicious; addicted to sentiments or acts of ill will or hatefulness: Maggie was the victim of the transmission of malicious software which included computer viruses that made it impossible for her to complete her written assignment.

The elderly woman has had a hard and tragic life and sometimes she speaks in a malicious way about her neighbors.

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Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
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Describing doing something in an unkind, spiteful, bitter, or vengeful way: Because Martin had been maliciously mean towards an old dog, the officers told him that he would have to do 50 hours of volunteer work in an animal shelter in hopes that he would learn to have a better attitude towards animals.

A bitter wish or an intent to inflict harm or pain on another person, or people: A reporter was accused of maliciousness when he wrote a response in his column about someone who accused him of unjustifiably ruining the mayor's reputation.

Referring to doing something that is evil, unwholesome, perilous, or unsafe; such as, climate or a geographical area: There was a maliferous odor coming from the swamp that convinced the people not to build their homes near it.

To injure or to harm someone: The school bully was always maligning other students on the playground by calling them vulgar names. © ALL rights are reserved.
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1. A reference to an evil intent or something which is naturally harmful: Nick has been accused of using his authority as sheriff for malign purposes.
2. Relating to violent hatred or enmity; concerning bad behavior: Growing up in a slum had a malign influence on Mark's character as a young man. © ALL rights are reserved.

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1. A tendency to do bad things to others: The legends of ancient lands are filled with rulers who showed great malignancies towards their enemies.
2. An expression of a desire to inflict injury or suffering on others: The malignancy which the invading hordes showed towards the farmers was excessive and unjustified.

1. Pertaining to a disease that is characterized by extreme virulence and is exceptionally contagious or infectious: As a patient, Leroy was placed in the isolation ward as a result of the extremely malignant nature of his lung infection.
2. A reference to the tendency of becoming worse and the resistance to medical treatment; pertaining to cancerous development: Given the malignant nature of the growth in the Bill's stomach, the doctor was recommending radical surgery.
3. Relating to or referring to a threat to produce death; harmful; virulent: The term malignant primarily describes such ailments as a tumor which spreads from its original location to affect other areas of the body with potentially life-threatening results.
4. Characterized by an intense ill-will; keenly desirous of the suffering or misfortune of others generally: The dictator had a powerful and malignant influence on the lives of the citizens of his nation and that's why so many of them fled to neighboring countries.

A condition in which a disease or ailment is growing worse and resisting treatment: Mary's malignant cancer was diagnosed and there was no doubt that it would cause her death in a short time because no medical treatment was successful.

A tumor in the covering of the central canal of the spinal cord or the ventricles (chambers) of the brain: Jeff was diagnosed with a malignant ependymoma or a deadly cancer in both his spinal cord and in a section of his brain.

A serious type of skin cancer: Malignant melanoma takes place in the melanocytes, the cells that produce "melanin", the pigment that colors the skin, hair, and even the iris of the eyes.

Malignant melanomas causes cancers that occur and are most common in middle-aged and elderly people with pale skin who have been exposed to strong sunlight over many years.

The growth of malignant melanoma usually develops on exposed areas of skin, but it may take place under the fingernails or toenails and even in the eyes.

1. A personality type showing excessive love or approval of himself or herself: The psychiatrist diagnosed Jerry as exhibiting characteristics of malignant narcissism or an exaggerated sense of personal admiration.
2. Antisocial behavior: Mary had difficulties on the playground at school because she exhibited a form of malignant narcissism which was aggressive towards those who did not admire and praise her.
3. Ego-syntonic aggression or sadism directed against others including inhumane or barbarous killing: The police were alarmed at the repeated discovery of mutilated corpses and focused their search on a person who was known to be possessed with malignant narcissism and had recently escaped from prison.

The lymphocytes that produce antibodies which destroy bone tissue and cause overproduction of immunoglobulins: The malignant neoplasm of bone marrow leads to osteolytic lesions, hypercalcemia, anemia, renal damage, and increased susceptibility to infection.

Characteristic of acting or behaving in a manner that is evil, harmful, or disdainful: The visitor's malignantly sarcastic humor was offensive to Zara's family and friends, which caused them to be very unhappy about the whole situation.