Hostile and Malign

Hostile

Hostile adjective - Marked by opposition or ill will.
Usage example: our landlord has a hostile attitude toward foreigners and refuses to rent to them

Malign is a synonym for hostile. In some cases you can use "Malign" instead an adjective "Hostile".

Nearby Word: hostility

Malign

Malign adjective - Having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it.
Usage example: both parties to the divorce showed a malign desire to make each other's future life utterly miserable

Hostile is a synonym for malign in evil topic. Sometimes you can use "Hostile" instead an adjective "Malign", if it concerns topics such as hurtful, harmful.

Both words in one sentence

  • Evil Redhead Rumour has it that red hair was considered a positive factor in selection to become a druid - this may account for the malign reputation of red-headedness amongst those cultures that were hostile to Celts.
    Source: Evil Redhead
Cite this Source
Malign and Hostile. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/hostile/malign
Hostile & Malign. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/hostile/malign>.
Malign or Hostile. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/hostile/malign.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "hostile" and "malign" have occurred on timeline