meanspirited

[ meen-spir-i-tid ]

adjective

1. petty; small-minded; ungenerous:

   a meanspirited man, unwilling to forgive.

Other Words From

• meanspirit·ed·ly adverb
• meanspirit·ed·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of meanspirited¹

First recorded in 1685–95; mean ² + spirited

Example Sentences

Some people find the art of stand-up to be meanspirited, but our members enjoy it, and it’s an important part of our content offering.

From Time

Father is no artist, he is a trader in music, and he is meanspirited as all tradespeople are.

From Project Gutenberg

They are but few and meanspirited that live in peace with all men.

From Project Gutenberg