Meaning & use
maligned
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Spoken about in a harshly critical, unfair, or damaging way.
See it in a sentence
The maligned politician insisted the accusations were fabricated by his rivals.
History has often maligned figures whose actions were more complicated than they first appeared.
A note on using this word
Frequently appears as an adjective ('a maligned figure') describing someone unfairly criticized, rather than as an active verb.
Words with a similar meaning
defamedslandered
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
praisedcommended
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