Lewis & Short

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mălignus, a, um, adj. [for maligenus, malus, and gen-, root of gigno; cf. the opp. benignus], of an evil nature or disposition, ill-disposed, wicked, mischievous, malicious, spiteful, envious, malignant, malign (poet. and post-Aug.; syn.: invidus, malevolus, parcus).

  1. 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.
  2. II. In partic.
    1. 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.
    2. B. Transf.
      1. 1. Barren, unfruitful: terra malignior ceteris, Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 15: colles, Verg. G. 2, 179.
      2. 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. 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. 2. In partic.
        1. 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.
        2. b. Little, scantily: terra eorum, quae seruntur, maligne admodum patiens, a very little, Mel. 2, 2: apertus, Sen. Ben. 6, 34, 3: virens, Plin. 34, 11, 26, § 112.