To malign someone means to say cruel or false things about them, especially to damage their reputation. When you malign another person, you're spreading harmful lies or unfair criticism designed to make others think badly of them.

Imagine a student who starts rumors that the new kid cheated to win the science fair, even though it isn't true. That student is maligning the winner, trying to poison other people's opinions. Or consider someone who maligns a hardworking teacher by claiming she plays favorites, when really she treats everyone fairly. These false accusations can stick in people's minds and hurt reputations, even when they're completely made up.

When you malign someone, you're doing something genuinely harmful: you're attacking their good name with lies or twisted versions of the truth.

The word can also work as an adjective meaning evil or harmful, though this use is less common today. You might read in an old story about a malign influence or a malign spirit.

Maligning someone is different from honest criticism or disagreement. There's nothing wrong with saying you think someone made a mistake or handled something poorly. But when you twist facts, spread lies, or try to destroy someone's reputation, you've crossed into maligning them.