different between malign vs blacken

English

Etymology

From Old French maligne, from Latin malignus, from malus (“bad”) + genus (“sort, kind”). Compare benign.

Pronunciation

• enPR: m?-l?n', IPA^(key): /m??la?n/

Adjective

malign (comparative more malign, superlative most malign)

1. Evil or malignant in disposition, nature, intent or influence.
2. Malevolent.
   • 1891, Ambrose Bierce, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

     He was sure they [the stars] were arranged in some order which had a secret and malign significance.

3. (oncology) Malignant.
   • 1625, Francis Bacon, Of Seditions and Troubles

     malign ulcers

Antonyms

• benign

Related terms

• malignant

Translations

Verb

malign (third-person singular simple present maligns, present participle maligning, simple past and past participle maligned)

1. (transitive) To make defamatory statements about; to slander or traduce.
   • To be envied and shot at; to be maligned standing, and to be despised falling.

2. (transitive, archaic) To treat with malice; to show hatred toward; to abuse; to wrong.

   • The people practice what mischiefs and villainies they will against private men, whom they malign by stealing their goods, or murdering them.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:defame

Translations

Anagrams

• Gilman, laming, lingam

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin malignus

Adjective

malign (masculine and feminine malign, neuter malignt, definite singular and plural maligne)

1. (medicine) malignant

References

• “malign” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “malign” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Latin malignus

Adjective

malign (masculine and feminine malign, neuter malignt, definite singular and plural maligne)

1. (medicine) malignant

English

Etymology

From Middle English blaknen, blakkenen, equivalent to black +? -en (verbal suffix).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?blæk?n/
• Rhymes: -æk?n

Verb

blacken (third-person singular simple present blackens, present participle blackening, simple past and past participle blackened)

1. (transitive, causative) To cause to be or become black.
2. (intransitive, ergative) To become black.

3. (transitive, causative) To make dirty.
4. To defame or sully.
5. (transitive) To cook (meat or fish) by coating with pepper, etc., and quickly searing in a hot pan.

Synonyms

• (make black): black, denigrate
• (make dirty): dirty, soil
• (defame): defame, denigrate, sully, taint, tarnish

Translations