Dysfunction of microRNAs (miRNAs) is strongly proved to participate in the pathogenesis and tumorigenicity of colorectal cancer (CRC). miR-944 was reported to play either oncogenic or tumor suppressive roles in human cancers. A recent study reported that the levels of miR-944 in recurrent CRC patients were evidently lower than that in non-recurrent cases, suggesting that miR-944 may function as a tumor suppressive miRNA in CRC. Yet, the clinical value and biological function of miR-944 remain rarely known in CRC. In the present study, we present that miR-944 level in CRC tissues is notably reduced compared to matched non-cancerous specimens. Its decreased level is evidently correlated with malignant clinical parameters and poor prognosis of CRC patients. Accordingly, the levels of miR-944 were obviously downregulated in CRC cells. Ectopic expression of miR-944 in CRC cells prominently inhibits the migration and invasion of tumor cells, while miR-944 knockdown increased these effects of CRC cells. Mechanically, miR-944 negatively regulated the metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1) abundance in CRC cells. Herein, MACC1 was found to be a downstream molecule of miR-944 in CRC. An inversely correlation between miR-944 and MACC1 was confirmed in CRC specimens. Furthermore, restoration of MACC1 expression could abrogate the anti-metastatic effects of miR-944 on CRC cells with enhanced cell migration and invasion. MACC1/Met/AKT signaling may be implicated with the function of miR-944 in CRC cells. Altogether, miR-944 potentially act as a prognostic predictor and a drug-target for CRC patients.