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   malignant

   /məˈlɪɡnənt/

   adjective

   • 1. evil in nature or effect; malevolent: "in the hands of malignant fate" Similar spitefulhostilemalevolentmaliciousmalignevil-intentionedbalefulfull of hateviciousnastypoisonousvenomousacrimoniousrancorousspleneticcruelOpposite benevolent
   • 2. (of a disease) very virulent or infectious. Similar virulentinfectiousinvasiveuncontrollabledangerousharmfulperniciousdeadlyfatallife-threateninglethalterminalincurable
   • ▪ (of a tumour) tending to invade normal tissue or to recur after removal; cancerous. Similar cancerousnon-benignmetastaticOpposite benign

   Word Origin mid 16th century (also in the sense ‘likely to rebel against God or authority’): from late Latin malignant- ‘contriving maliciously’, from the verb malignare. The term was used in its early sense to describe Royalist sympathizers during the English Civil War.

   Derivatives

   • 1. malignantly adverb

   Scrabble Points: 12

   • M

     3

   • A

     1

   • L

     1

   • I

     1

   • G

     2

   • N

     1

   • A

     1

   • N

     1

   • T

     1

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