malign (adj.)

early 14c., of things or behaviors, "wicked, sinful;" mid-15c., of persons, "having an evil disposition toward others, harboring violent hatred," from Old French maligne "having an evil nature," from Latin malignus "wicked, bad-natured," from male "badly" (see mal-) + -gnus "born," from gignere "to bear, beget," from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget."

"to slander, speak evil of, defame," mid-15c., malignen (originally with against), from Old French malignier "to plot, deceive, pervert" and directly from Late Latin malignare "to do maliciously," from malignus "wicked, bad-natured, mean, unkind" (see malign (adj.)). Related: Maligned; maligning.