2 N‑COUNT A Malay is a member of the largest racial group in Malaysia.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Malay is a language that is spoken in Malaysia and in parts of Indonesia.
Ma|lay|sian /məle I ʒ ə n/ (Malaysians )
1 ADJ Malaysian means belonging or relating to Malaysia, or to its people or culture.
2 N‑COUNT A Malaysian is a person who comes from Malaysia.
mal|con|tent /mæ lkəntent/ (malcontents ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] You can describe people as malcontents when you disapprove of the fact that they are dissatisfied with a situation and want it to change. [FORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Five years ago a band of malcontents, mainly half-educated radicals, seized power.
male ◆◆◇ /me I l/ (males )
1 ADJ Someone who is male is a man or a boy. □ Many women achievers appear to pose a threat to their male colleagues. □ Most of the demonstrators were white and male. ● male|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ …the solidarity among men which is part of maleness.
2 N‑COUNT Men and boys are sometimes referred to as males when they are being considered as a type. □ A high proportion of crime is perpetrated by young males in their teens and twenties.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] Male means relating, belonging, or affecting men rather than women. □ Women entered the workforce in greater numbers and male unemployment rose. □ …a deep male voice.
4 N‑COUNT You can refer to any creature that belongs to the sex that cannot lay eggs or have babies as a male . □ Males and females take turns brooding the eggs. ● ADJ Male is also an adjective. □ After mating the male wasps tunnel through the sides of their nursery.
ma le chau |vin|ism N‑UNCOUNT If you accuse a man of male chauvinism , you disapprove of him because his beliefs and behaviour show that he thinks men are naturally superior to women. [DISAPPROVAL ]
ma le chau |vin|ist (male chauvinists ) ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe an attitude or remark as male chauvinist , you are critical of it because you think it is based on the belief that men are naturally superior to women. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The male chauvinist attitude of some people in the company could get you down. ● N‑COUNT A male chauvinist is a man who has male chauvinist views. □ I'm not a male chauvinist.
ma le-dominated ADJ [usu ADJ n] A male-dominated society, organization, or area of activity is one in which men have most of the power and influence. □ …the male-dominated world of journalism.
mal|efac|tor /mæ l I fæktə r / (malefactors ) N‑COUNT A malefactor is someone who has done something bad or illegal. [FORMAL ] □ …a well-known criminal lawyer who had saved many a malefactor from going to jail.
ma|levo|lent /mæle vələnt/ ADJ A malevolent person deliberately tries to cause harm or evil. [FORMAL ] □ Her stare was malevolent, her mouth a thin line. ● ma|levo|lence N‑UNCOUNT □ …a rare streak of malevolence. ● ma|levo|lent|ly ADV □ Mark watched him malevolently.
mal|for|ma|tion /mæ lfɔː r me I ʃ ə n/ (malformations ) N‑COUNT A malformation in a person's body is a part which does not have the proper shape or form, especially when it has been like this since birth. [WRITTEN ] □ …babies with a high incidence of congenital malformations.
mal|formed /mæ lfɔː r md/ ADJ If people or parts of their body are malformed , they do not have the shape or form that they are supposed to, especially when they have been like this since birth. [FORMAL ] □ …malformed babies. □ More rarely, the tubes have been malformed from birth.
mal|func|tion /mæ lfʌ ŋkʃ ə n/ (malfunctions , malfunctioning , malfunctioned ) VERB If a machine or part of the body malfunctions , it fails to work properly. [FORMAL ] □ [V ] The radiation can damage microprocessors and computer memories, causing them to malfunction. ● N‑COUNT Malfunction is also a noun. □ There must have been a computer malfunction.
mal|ice /mæ l I s/ N‑UNCOUNT Malice is behaviour that is intended to harm people or their reputations, or cause them embarrassment and upset. □ There was a strong current of malice in many of his portraits.
ma|li|cious /məl I ʃəs/ ADJ If you describe someone's words or actions as malicious , you mean that they are intended to harm people or their reputation, or cause them embarrassment and upset. □ That might merely have been malicious gossip. ● ma|li|cious|ly ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ …his maliciously accurate imitation of Hubert de Burgh.
ma|lign /məla I n/ (maligns , maligning , maligned )
1 VERB If you malign someone, you say unpleasant and untrue things about them. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] We maligned him dreadfully when you come to think of it.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] If something is malign , it causes harm. [FORMAL ] □ …the malign influence jealousy had on their lives.
3 → see also much-maligned
ma|lig|nan|cy /məl I gnənsi/ (malignancies ) N‑VAR A tumour or disease in a state of malignancy is out of control and is likely to cause death. [MEDICAL ] □ Tissue that is removed during the operation is checked for signs of malignancy.
ma|lig|nant /məl I gnənt/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A malignant tumour or disease is out of control and likely to cause death. [MEDICAL ] □ She developed a malignant breast tumour.
2 ADJ If you say that someone is malignant , you think they are cruel and like to cause harm. □ He said that we were evil, malignant and mean.
ma|lin|ger /məl I ŋgə r / (malingers , malingering , malingered ) VERB [usu cont] If someone is malingering , they pretend to be ill in order to avoid working. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V ] She was told by her doctor that she was malingering.