Benign
Benign adjective - Not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt.
Usage example: around campus he's known as a real character, but one whose eccentricities are entirely benign
Malignant
Malignant adjective - Having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it.
Usage example: a malignant wish to lash out at everyone who was smarter, richer, or better-looking than he was
Both words in one sentence
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True examples of purely malignant or benign groups are very thin on the ground.
Source: Tabletop Game / Unknown Armies -
Black Sheep: Siberian gnomes are often less benign than most others, and occasionally, like one in one of the Legends, malignant towards humans.
Source: Literature / Gnomes
Cite this Source
Malignant and Benign. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/benign/malignant
Benign & Malignant. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/benign/malignant>.
Malignant or Benign. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/benign/malignant.
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