Malison

A malison is a curse or imprecation; a spoken word or phrase expressing a wish for harm or misfortune to befall someone or something. It's a solemn invocation of evil or a pronouncement of doom. Often, it's a forceful expression of disapproval, anger, or condemnation, typically delivered with dramatic intensity. The word carries a sense of ancient power, often evoking images of ritualistic pronouncements and potent, destructive desires. The effect of a malison is to invoke negative consequences, whether real or perceived, upon the target, hoping to inflict bad luck, suffering, or even ruin. Historically, malisons played a role in legal contexts as a curse would affect outcomes, with the invocation of spiritual forces to enforce promises, oaths, or treaties. The word comes from Old French, meaning “malediction,” and the word itself carries significant linguistic weight, with its usage implying gravity and depth of feeling.

Malison meaning with examples

• Wracked with fury after betrayal, the queen uttered a potent malison upon the treacherous advisor, hoping he'd meet a gruesome end. The court shuddered, sensing dark magic in the air. The malison was intended to bring chaos and misfortune to him and his legacy, forever binding him to the words' dark purpose.
• Furious after the war, the vanquished general, facing exile, whispered a malison under his breath on the victorious king, praying for an untimely death and a reign marked by conflict and loss for the country. Whispers spread through the crowd about the malison. A malison upon the nation for betraying a great leader.
• The witch, incensed by the villagers' refusal to accept her offerings, cast a malison upon the crops, hoping to ensure a year of famine and hardship. The villagers, however, took it upon themselves to break the malison. The malison lingered in the air, a palpable threat, as the first frost descended, heralding a harsh winter.
• In the heat of the argument, he threw a malison at his brother, wishing the other sibling misfortune and regret, fully knowing that he was crossing a line that might never be crossed again. The malison seemed to hang in the air. The malison created a schism between the two brothers that took a great amount of time to fix.