Bad Words! (mal - Latin root for "bad")

The Latin word part "mal" means "bad," "badly," or "evil," and words made from "mal" have negative overtones.
The following English words contain "mal":

DISMAL (DIZ mul) - adjective - causing misery or gloom (from the Latin for "bad
days," which were marked on calendars)
      Because of the DISMAL reports, the managers devised a new strategy.

GRAND MAL (grahn mahl) - noun or adjective - the severe form of an epileptic seizure (from the French for "great sickness")
       The patient suffered a GRAND MAL seizure.

MALADJUSTED (MAL uh jus tid) - adjective - badly adjusted, unable to adjust to the stresses of daily life, out of harmony with one's environment
    The MALADJUSTED child is being treated by a therapist.

MALADROIT (MAL uh droit) - adjective - awkward, clumsy, unskilled, inept  (from Latin by way of French)
     Delicate artwork is difficult for a person who is MALADROIT.
     She was too MALADROIT to be a .good waitress.

MALADY (MAL uh dee) - noun - a bad condition of the body or mind, sickness, disease
      Asthma is a chronic MALADY.

MALAISE (muh LAZE) - noun - a vague feeling of uneasiness or illness (from Latin by way of French)
      Sometimes a seizure is preceded by a feeling of MALAISE.

MALAPROPISM (MAL uh prop iz um) - noun - a humorously inappropriate use of words
This word comes from Mrs. Malaprop, an eighteenth-century comedy character
who was known for such mistakes.
      A familiar MALAPROPISM is "May I sew you to a sheet?"
      His MALAPROPISMS produced howls of laughter.

MALAPROPOS (MAL ap ruh po) - adjective - inappropriate, not fitting ( from Latin by way of French)
       We were embarrassed by her MALAPROPOS behavior.

MALARIA (mal AIR ee uh) - noun - a disease carried by a mosquito, which was at first thought to be carried by bad air
       A protozoan parasite carried by the anopheles mosquito causes MALARIA.

MALCONTENT (MAL con tent) - adjective - dissatisfied, ill-tempered, rebellious
                                                       - noun - a person who is dissatisfied
        People ignored his complaints because he was known to be a MALCONTENT.
     
MAL DE MER (MAL duh MAIR) - noun - seasickness (from Latin by way of French)
        She declined the invitation to join the cruise because of her fear of 
        developing MAL DE MER.

MALEDICTION (MAL uh dik shun) - noun - literally "evil saying" - saying something bad, a curse
      As the criminal was led away by the police, he shouted angry MALEDICTIONS. 

MALEFACTOR (MAL uh fak ter) - noun - literally "one who does evil" - someone who does something bad, one who commits an evil deed, a criminal, an evildoer
     The police arrested the MALEFACTOR.

MALEFICENT (muh LEF uh sent) - adjective - causing something bad or harmful, having a harmful influence
       Alcohol has a MALEFICENT  effect on driving. 

MALEVOLENT (muh LEV uh lent) - adjective - literally "wishing evil" -  wishing something bad to happen to others, showing deep and strong ill will, having an evil intention, spiteful
       MALEVOLENT people often speak hurtfully to others.
       Hurricanes and tornadoes are MALEVOLENT forces of nature.

MALFEASANCE (mal FEE zens) - noun - evil conduct or wrongdoing, especially committed by a public official
      The senator was convicted of MALFEASANCE.

MALFUNCTION (mal FUNK shun) - noun - a failure to work properly (also a verb)
       The plane turned back because of an engine MALFUNCTION.

MALICE (MAL iss) - noun - ill will, deliberate intent to do harm
       Her comment was inappropriate, but it was spoken without MALICE.
      The act was not a joke; it was done out of MALICE.

MALICIOUS (muh LISH us) - adjective - characterized by evil intent, wanting to hurt another, spiteful
       The boy may be mischievous, but he is not MALICIOUS.
       She was the victim of MALICIOUS gossip.

MALIFEROUS (mal IF er us) - adjective - carrying disease, producing evil
        Some insects are MALIFEROUS.

MALIGN (muh LINE) - verb - to lie about, to slander, to defame, to speak ill of
        Gossip and rumors can MALIGN a person's reputation.
      
MALIGNANT (muh LIG nant) - adjective- causing harm, producing a bad outcome, cancerous
       She was relieved to learn that her tumor was not MALIGNANT.

MALINGERER (mal IN jer er) - noun - someone who pretends to be sick to avoid work
       If she's absent today she must be really ill; she is no malingerer.

MALNOURISHED (mal NUH rishd) - adjective - suffering from bad nutrition
       The prisoners were MALNOURISHED but otherwise unharmed.
       
MALNUTRITION (mal noo TRISH un) - noun - bad nutrition, the lack of nutrients needed for good health, a condition caused by a bad diet
      Millions of people suffer from MALNUTRITION.
      Eating a poor diet can lead to MALNUTRITION.

MALOCCLUSION (MAL uh kloo zhun) - noun - improper meeting of the upper and lower teeth
       The orthodontist is treating the child for MALOCCLUSION. 

MALODOROUS (ma O dor us) - adjective - having a bad smell
        The skunk's MALODOROUS scent is a protective mechanism.
        In a short time dead fish become MALODOROUS.

MALPRACTICE (mal PRAK tiss) - noun - professional misconduct, bad practice of one's profession
        After the botched surgery, the doctor was charged with MALPRACTICE;

MALTREATMENT (mal TREET ment) - noun - cruel treatment, abuse
         The guard was fired for his MALTREATMENT of prisoners.

PETIT MAL (puh TEE mahl) - noun or adjective - a mild form of an epileptic seizure (from French "small illness")
         Nobody noticed that he had a PETIT MAL seizure in class.