I.of an evil nature or disposition, ill-disposed, wicked, mischievous, malicious, spiteful, envious, malignant, malign (poet. and post-Aug.; syn.: invidus, malevolus, parcus).
I. In gen.: “maligni caupones,” Hor. S. 1, 5, 4: “magnaque numinibus vota exaudita malignis,” unkind, Juv. 10, 111.— “Of inanim. and abstr. things: malignissima capita,” Sen. Vit. Beat. 18: “litus,” Luc. 8, 565: “portus,” id. 5, 651: “leges,” Ov. M. 10, 329: “votum,” Cat. 67, 5: “verba,” Manil. 4, 573: “mente malignā,” Cat. 68, 37: “studia,” Ov. Tr. 4, 1, 101: “vulgus,” Hor. C. 2, 16, 40: “oculi,” Verg. A. 5, 654.—
II. In partic.
A. Stingy, niggardly: “malignus, largus,” Plaut. Bacch. 3, 2, 17.—Of favors, Ter. Hec. 1, 2, 84: vagae ne parce malignus arenae ossibus particulam dare, Hor. C. 1, 28, 23.—Trop.: “fama,” Ov. H. 16, 143: “in laudandis dictionibus,” Quint. 2, 2, 6.—
B. Transf.
2. Scanty, insufficient, dim, petty, small, narrow: “ostium,” too narrow, Sen. Q. N. 3, 27: “aditus,” Verg. A. 11, 525: “ignis,” Mart. 10, 96, 7: “lux,” Verg. A. 6, 270: “conspecta est parva maligna Unda procul venā,” Luc. 9, 500: “munus,” Plin. 7, 50, 51, § 167.—Hence, adv.: mălignē .
1. In gen., ill-naturedly, spitefully, enviously, malignantly (not in Cic. or Cæs.): “maledice ac maligne loqui,” Liv. 45, 39.—Comp.: “malignius habitum esse sermonem,” Curt. 8, 1, 8.—
2. In partic.
a. Stingily, grudgingly: “ager maligne plebi divisus,” Liv. 8, 12: “famem exstinguere,” sparingly, Sen. Ep. 18, 9: non mihi fuit tam maligne, ut, etc., it has not gone so poorly with me that, etc., Cat. 10, 18: “dispensare,” Sen. Ben. 6, 16, 7: “laudare,” Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 209.—Comp.: “dicis, malignius tecum egisse naturam,” Sen. Ep. 44, 1.—