Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Malignant: Used primarily in medical contexts to describe a condition, growth, or disease that is severe, progressively worsening, and likely to cause death if not treated. It often implies a tendency to invade surrounding tissue or spread to other parts of the body.
   • Pernicious: Describes a disease that is highly injurious, destructive, or fatal in its effects.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Bác sĩ chẩn đoán khối u ác tính. (The doctor diagnosed a malignant tumor.)
  • Bệnh nhân nhập viện vì sốt rét ác tính. (The patient was hospitalized for malignant malaria.)
  • Đó là một căn bệnh ác tính, tiến triển rất nhanh. (It is a malignant disease that progresses very quickly.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used in scientific, clinical, and formal medical discussions. It is the direct antonym of "lành tính" (benign).
• It can be applied metaphorically in very formal or literary contexts to describe something with a deeply harmful or destructive nature, though this usage is rare.
  • Âm mưu ác tính của kẻ thù. (The malignant plot of the enemy.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lành tính (adj): Benign. The direct opposite, describing a condition that is not harmful or not recurrent.
  • May mắn là khối u này lành tính. (Fortunately, this tumor is benign.)

Synonyms

• Malignant: (Medical) Virulent, cancerous.
• Pernicious: Deadly, fatal, destructive.

Related Terms and Phrases

• Ung thư (n): Cancer. A disease characterized by malignant growths.
  • U ác tính thường là dấu hiệu của ung thư. (A malignant tumor is often a sign of cancer.)
• Di căn (v/n): To metastasize / metastasis. A key characteristic of malignant growths.
  • Tế bào ác tính có khả năng di căn. (Malignant cells have the ability to metastasize.)

adj

1. Malign, malignant
   • khối u ác tính, bướu ác tính
     malignant growth, malignant tumour
   • sốt rét ác tính
     malignant malaria