definitions

spiteful

[ spahyt-fuhl ]
/ ˈspaɪt fəl /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR spiteful ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

full of spite or malice; showing spite; malicious; malevolent; venomous: a spiteful child.

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RELATED WORDS

spite, enmity, meanness, malignancy, indignity, malice, evil, malignity, maliciousness, hatred, hate, grudge, vengefulness, resentment, cruelty, retaliation, revenge, mercilessness

Nearby words

spitball, spitballer, spitchcock, spite, spite fence, spiteful, spitefully, spitfire, spithead, spitsbergen, spitsticker

Origin of spiteful

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at spite, -ful
SYNONYMS FOR spiteful
vengeful, mean, cruel, rancorous. Spiteful, revengeful, vindictive refer to a desire to inflict a wrong or injury on someone, usually in return for one received. Spiteful implies a mean or malicious desire for (often petty) revenge: a spiteful attitude toward a former friend. Revengeful implies a deep, powerful, and continued intent to repay a wrong: a fierce and revengeful spirit. Vindictive does not imply action necessarily, but stresses the unforgiving nature of the avenger: a vindictive look.
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR spiteful ON THESAURUS.COM
Related formsspite·ful·ly, adverbspite·ful·ness, nounun·spite·ful, adjectiveun·spite·ful·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for spitefulness

British Dictionary definitions for spitefulness

spiteful

/ (ˈspaɪtfʊl) /

adjective

full of or motivated by spite; vindictive
Derived Formsspitefully, adverbspitefulness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for spitefulness

spiteful

adj.

mid-15c., from spite + -ful. Related: Spitefully; spitefulness.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper