malignant Meaning, Definition & Usage

adjective dangerous to health; characterized by progressive and uncontrolled growth (especially of a tumor)

L. malignans, -antis, p. pr. of malignare, malignari, to do or make maliciously. See Malign, and cf. Benignant.

Disposed to do harm, inflict suffering, or cause distress; actuated by extreme malevolence or enmity; virulently inimical; bent on evil; malicious.
A malignant and a turbaned Turk. Shak.
Characterized or caused by evil intentions; pernicious. "Malignant care." Macaulay.
Some malignant power upon my life. Shak.

Something deleterious and malignant as his touch. Hawthorne.
(Med.) Tending to produce death; threatening a fatal issue; virulent; as, malignant diphtheria.

A man of extrems enmity or evil intentions. Hooker.
(Eng. Hist.) One of the adherents of Charles L. or Charles LL.; -- so called by the opposite party.