mal, male = bad; abnormal; worse

dismal Depressing; causing gloom or misery; causing bad feelings

After several dismal, rainy days, Dylan longed for blue skies and sunshine. Nancy was upset after seeing her dismal test score.

malady Bad health; illness; sickness

My neighbor’s malady caused her to be bedridden for weeks. Despite his malady, he was in positive spirits.

malaria Bad air; disease usually spread by infected mosquitoes

malefactor An evildoer; a person who does bad things

Larry was the leader of the gang of malefactors, and was on the FBI’s most wanted list. In the Harry Potter series, Voldemort is the main malefactor.

malevolent A word that describes a person or character who wishes bad things would happen to others

The malevolent character gets his just consequences in most fairy tales. Although she appeared to be kind, Jenny had a malevolent personality.

malfeasance Wrongdoing or bad conduct by a public official

The mayor was sued for malfeasance after he stole millions of dollars. In voting for a candidate, we should check for any prior malfeasance.

malice Mischief; evil intent; bad will

Chloe’s face displayed a total lack of malice even as she purposely tripped the other child. Snow White’s evil stepmother had malice in her heart when she summoned the huntsman.

malignant harmful; something bad enough that could result in death when related to cancer

The doctor’s face revealed that the tumor was malignant. The surgeon immediately scheduled surgery to remove the malignant tumor.

malnourished having bad health or having poor nutrition

What can we do to help malnourished children all over the world? Many benefactors donate money to organizations that help malnourished people.

malodorous bad smell; stinky

While walking her dogs, Cindy was offended by the malodorous stench coming from the trash cans. After playing outside all day, James took a shower to remove his malodorous odor.