Malignant

Pronunciation

• IPA: /məˈlɪɡnÉ™nt/

Full definition of malignant

Adjective

1. Harmful, malevolent, injurious.
   malignant temper;  malignant revenge;  malignant infection
• 1922, Ben Travers, A Cuckoo in the Nest Chapter 1, “… the awfully hearty sort of Christmas cards that people do send to other people that they don't know at all well. You know. The kind that have mottoes.... And then, when you see senders, you probably find that they are the most melancholy old folk with malignant diseases. …”
2. (medicine) Tending to produce death; threatening a fatal issue.malignant diphtheriaa malignant tumor

Antonyms

• (medicine) benign

Related terms

• nonmalignant

Noun

• 1823, The Retrospective Review (volume 7, page 11)As devout Stephen was carried to his burial by devout men, so is it just and equal that malignants should carry malignants ...----