Meaning & use

malignant

adjective·Advanced

Extremely harmful or evil, or, in medicine, describing a tumor that is cancerous and can spread.

See it in a sentence

Doctors confirmed the tumor was malignant and recommended immediate treatment.

A malignant rumor spread through the office, damaging her reputation within days.

A note on using this word

In medicine, malignant is the direct opposite of benign; elsewhere it describes something deeply harmful or hostile.

Words with a similar meaning

cancerousharmful

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Words with an opposite meaning

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