different between insult vs malign

English

Etymology

The verb is derived from Middle French insulter (modern French insulter (“to insult”)) or its etymon Latin ?nsult?re, present active infinitive of ?nsult? (“to spring, leap or jump at or upon; to abuse, insult, revile, taunt”), the frequentative form of ?nsili? (“to bound; to leap in or upon”), from in- (prefix meaning ‘in, inside, within’) + sali? (“to bound, jump, leap; to spring forth; to flow down”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sel- (“to spring”)).

The noun is derived from Middle French insult (modern French insulte (“insult”)) or its etymon Late Latin insultus (“insult, reviling, scoffing”), from ?nsili? (“to bound; to leap in or upon”); see above.

Pronunciation

• Verb:
  • (Received Pronunciation, General American) enPR: ?ns?lt?, IPA^(key): /?n?s?lt/
• Noun:
  • enPR: ?n?s?lt, IPA^(key): /??ns?lt/
• Rhymes: -?lt
• Hyphenation: in?sult

Verb

insult (third-person singular simple present insults, present participle insulting, simple past and past participle insulted)

1. (transitive) To be insensitive, insolent, or rude to (somebody); to affront or demean (someone). [from 17th c.]

   Synonyms: disrespect, affront, disgrace, slander, discourtesy, offense

   Antonym: compliment
2. (transitive, also figuratively, obsolete) To assail, assault, or attack; (specifically, military) to carry out an assault, attack, or onset without preparation.
3. (intransitive, obsolete) To behave in an obnoxious and superior manner (against or over someone). [16th–19th c.]
4. (intransitive, obsolete, rare) To leap or trample upon.

Conjugation

Related terms

• insolence
• insultation

Translations

Noun

insult (countable and uncountable, plural insults)

1. (uncountable) Action or form of speech deliberately intended to be rude; (countable) a particular act or statement having this effect.

   Synonyms: affront, (slang) diss, (obsolete) insultation, (Britain) offence, (US) offense, pejorative, (US, colloquial) slam, slight, slur; see also Thesaurus:offense

   Antonym: compliment
2. (countable) Something that causes offence (for example, by being of an unacceptable quality).

   Synonyms: disgrace, outrage
3. (countable, medicine) Something causing disease or injury to the body or bodily processes; the injury so caused.
4. (countable, also figuratively, archaic) An assault or attack; (specifically, military, obsolete) an assault, attack, or onset carried out without preparation.
5. (countable, obsolete) An act of leaping upon.

Derived terms

• add insult to injury

Translations

References

Further reading

• insult on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• insult (medical) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• insult (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• sunlit, unlist, unslit

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /in?sul(t)/

Noun

insult m (plural insults)

1. insult

Related terms

• insultar

Further reading

• “insult” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [in?sult]

Verb

insult

1. first-person singular present indicative/subjunctive of insulta

English

Etymology

From Old French maligne, from Latin malignus, from malus (“bad”) + genus (“sort, kind”). Compare benign.

Pronunciation

• enPR: m?-l?n', IPA^(key): /m??la?n/

Adjective

malign (comparative more malign, superlative most malign)

1. Evil or malignant in disposition, nature, intent or influence.
2. Malevolent.
   • 1891, Ambrose Bierce, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

     He was sure they [the stars] were arranged in some order which had a secret and malign significance.

3. (oncology) Malignant.
   • 1625, Francis Bacon, Of Seditions and Troubles

     malign ulcers

Antonyms

• benign

Related terms

• malignant

Translations

Verb

malign (third-person singular simple present maligns, present participle maligning, simple past and past participle maligned)

1. (transitive) To make defamatory statements about; to slander or traduce.
   • To be envied and shot at; to be maligned standing, and to be despised falling.

2. (transitive, archaic) To treat with malice; to show hatred toward; to abuse; to wrong.

   • The people practice what mischiefs and villainies they will against private men, whom they malign by stealing their goods, or murdering them.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:defame

Translations

Anagrams

• Gilman, laming, lingam

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin malignus

Adjective

malign (masculine and feminine malign, neuter malignt, definite singular and plural maligne)

1. (medicine) malignant

References

• “malign” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “malign” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Latin malignus

Adjective

malign (masculine and feminine malign, neuter malignt, definite singular and plural maligne)

1. (medicine) malignant