Maligned is spelled with the silent 'g' which makes its pronunciation different from its written appearance. IPA phonetic transcription of 'maligned' is /məˈlaɪnd/. The first syllable is pronounced as "muh" while the second syllable is pronounced as "leynd". The silent 'g' in the spelling is not pronounced, which can lead to confusion in pronunciation. The word means to speak unfavorably about someone or something, typically in order to cause damage to their reputation.
Maligned is an adjective that refers to something or someone being subjected to negative or unfair criticism, slander, or defamation. It is used to describe the state of being maliciously and falsely accused, attacked, or spoken ill of. When something or someone is maligned, it typically implies that they have been unjustly portrayed in a negative light, usually resulting in damage to their reputation or character.
The term "maligned" often highlights a situation where there is a widespread misrepresentation or misconstruction of facts, leading to the creation of an unfavorable perception. It involves denigrating or undermining someone's credibility, integrity, or achievements through false or exaggerated claims. This can occur through various means, such as gossip, rumors, deliberate misinformation, or biased reporting.
Being maligned can have significant consequences, as it can adversely impact a person's personal or professional life. It can lead to social ostracism, loss of opportunities, decreased trust or respect from others, and a damaged self-image. In cases where an individual or entity is unjustly maligned, efforts to clarify or rectify the false accusations may be necessary to restore their reputation and address any lasting effects.
Overall, the term "maligned" points to the harmful or unfair treatment someone or something receives when subjected to negative accusations, innuendos, or slanderous remarks that are not based on truth or reality.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word maligned comes from the Old French word maligner, which in turn was derived from the Latin word malignus. Malignus combines two Latin roots: malus meaning bad or evil, and genus meaning kind or type. Therefore, the word maligned originally meant to speak of someone or something in a detrimental or evil manner.