malin
Albanian edit
Noun edit
malin
Finnish edit
Noun edit
malin
Anagrams edit
French edit
Etymology edit
Semi-learned borrowing from Latin malignus (“wicked, malicious”).
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
malin (feminine maligne or maline, masculine plural malins, feminine plural malignes or malines)
- (obsolete) nocive, pernicious
- (medicine) malignant
- Antonym: bénin
- une tumeur maligne ― a malignant tumor
- (chiefly dated or biblical) malicious, sadistic (which likes to do or say hurtful things for fun)
- Synonym: méchant
- prendre un malin plaisir à faire quelque chose ― to take perverse pleasure in doing something
- (informal) smart and quick-thinking, and often tricksterish; cunning, crafty
- Synonyms: astucieux, fin, intelligent, rusé
- C’est malin ! ― Well done!
- avoir l’air malin ― to look daft, to look silly
- 1982, “Un été sans toi”, performed by Charles Aznavour:
- C’est inhumain / De me laisser seul / J’ai l’air malin / Sous mon parasol
- It's inhuman / To leave me alone / I look silly / Under my umbrella
- (Quebec) aggressive (of an animal); petulant (of a person)
Usage notes edit
- The standard language uses the feminine maligne. The popular byform maline has existed for centuries, but is considered incorrect in formal writing. In the vernacular, it is predominant especially for the sense “smart, cunning”.
- In its meaning of “malicious” the word is mostly restricted to expressions such as malin plaisir; it is a standard attribute of the Devil.
Derived terms edit
Noun edit
malin m (plural malins, feminine maligne or maline)
Derived terms edit
- à malin, malin et demi
- gros malin (“smart ass”)
- petit malin (“trickster”)
- faire le malin
Further reading edit
- “malin”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Anagrams edit
Polish edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
malin f
Romanian edit
Adjective edit
malin m or n (feminine singular malină, masculine plural malini, feminine and neuter plural maline)
- Alternative form of malign