Definitions
- Describing a harmful or negative influence on someone or something. - Referring to a medical condition that is dangerous or cancerous. - Talking about a person who speaks ill of others, spreading false rumors or gossip.
- Describing a person or action that is intentionally harmful or evil. - Referring to a feeling of hatred or ill-will towards others. - Talking about a supernatural force or entity that is malicious or harmful.
List of Similarities
- 1Both words describe negative or harmful actions or influences.
- 2Both words have a negative connotation.
- 3Both words can be used to describe people, actions, or things.
- 4Both words are adjectives.
What is the difference?
- 1Intensity: Malevolent implies a stronger sense of intentional harm or evil than malign.
- 2Scope: Malign can refer to a wider range of negative influences, including medical conditions and rumors. Malevolent is more often used to describe intentional harm caused by people or supernatural entities.
- 3Usage: Malign is more commonly used in medical contexts, while malevolent is more commonly used in literature and storytelling.
- 4Connotation: Malign can sometimes be used in a neutral or objective sense, while malevolent always carries a negative connotation.
Remember this!
Malign and malevolent are synonyms that both describe negative or harmful actions or influences. However, malevolent implies a stronger sense of intentional harm or evil than malign, and is more often used to describe people or supernatural entities. Malign is more versatile and can refer to a wider range of negative influences, including medical conditions and rumors.
