0 causing or intending to cause harm or evil:
Foreign domination had a malign influence on local politics.
She describes pornography as "a malign industry".
1 to say false and unpleasant things about someone, or to criticize someone unfairly:
She has recently been maligned in the gossip columns of several newspapers.
Much-maligned for their derivative style, the band is nevertheless enduringly popular.
2 to say things about someone or something that are harmful and usually not true:
In many respects the railways run an excellent service and are much maligned.
Privatisation has been much attacked, maligned and misrepresented.
I am not going to say that he has maligned the workers, for he has admitted that it was the minority to whom he referred.
The boards have been somewhat maligned in some of our debates so far.
I think that the area cost adjustment is much maligned and fully justified.
We have travelled the road of peace with him, maligned and attacked from many quarters.
He was much maligned when it was suggested that he was instrumental in closing down the industry.
He said he was not going to stand slandering and maligning of the workers.
