Malignant-Benign | Commonly Confused Words
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Malignant vs. Benign

Malignant

/məˈlɪɡnənt/
Harmful or likely to become worse, often used to describe a disease, such as cancer, that is severe or progressively worsening

Examples:

The tumor was found to be malignant after biopsy results.Malignant intentions were hidden behind a friendly facade.His malignant laughter sent chills down everyone's spine.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Benign

/bɪˈnaɪn/
A word to describe something that is gentle, kind, or not harmful.

Examples:

The test results confirmed a benign tumor.Her smile was warm and benign, spreading comfort.Most bacteria in yogurt are benign and aid digestion.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Ways to tell them apart:

etymology
  • Malignant is associated with harm and danger, often used in medical contexts to describe cancer that can spread.
  • Benign refers to something gentle or harmless and is used in contrast to malignant in medical terminologies.
  • Remember: Mal in malignant sounds like malicious, indicating harm, while ben in benign sounds like benefit or benevolent.
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