as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
the gossip would utter the most vicious things with a spiteful smile
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of spiteful
Share [Findings] Unaffiliated voters are growing more spiteful toward both Democrats and Republicans.
—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
Iannucci may spin stories of spiteful people, but Iannucci the person is different.
—John Baldoni, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
This sequel was similar in its angry, bleak tone but amped up with little of the polish that some in Washington had hoped would signal Trump’s second term might be less spiteful than the first go-around.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 20 Jan. 2025
The end of the JCPOA made a spiteful Iran even more aggressive.
—Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 8 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for spiteful
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
Iannucci may spin stories of spiteful people, but Iannucci the person is different.
—John Baldoni, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
This sequel was similar in its angry, bleak tone but amped up with little of the polish that some in Washington had hoped would signal Trump’s second term might be less spiteful than the first go-around.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 20 Jan. 2025
The end of the JCPOA made a spiteful Iran even more aggressive.
—Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 8 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for spiteful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiteful
Adjective
-
Jose Velasquez-Martinez, 27, is charged with malicious wounding and murder in connection with 29-year-old Brandon Probst's death in Warrenton, according to the Fauquier County Sheriff's Office.—
Audrey Conklin,
FOXNews.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
There is evidence of motivated malicious actors abusing the 'verified account' to deceive users.—
Jon Brodkin,
ArsTechnica,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Everybody else has no choice, really, other than to bring a cruel, narcissistic far-right leader to power.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2025
-
The cruelest part is that the good ones are mixed with the bad ones.—
Matt Rivers,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Softened by pride, Amber slinks away herself, albeit much more cutely than Gregory and accompanied by a vicious side-eye.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
3 Apr. 2025
-
The Kansas City Glory’s season opener was set to begin on Saturday afternoon, but viral sensation Elena Easley was sitting on the field, experiencing a vicious headache.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Utah has become a hateful place, guest columnist ML Cavanaugh writes.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Maryland’s Salvadoran community relives surge in hateful rhetoric When a wave of Salvadorans first migrated to Maryland, there was a stereotype that they were affiliated with gangs like MS-13, Perez said.—
Polo Sandoval,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
His other performances included as Robert De Niro’s nasty henchman in Michael Mann’s Heat (1995); as Marlon Brando’s insane assistant in John Frankenheimer’s The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996) and as the suave crook Simon Templar in Phillip Noyce’s The Saint (1997).—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2025
-
The veteran forward took a nasty fall with 3:21 left in the fourth quarter, landed hard on his tailbone, and spent minutes down on the court surrounded by teammates and coaches.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiteful. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share