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
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Recent Examples of spiteful
The end of the JCPOA made a spiteful Iran even more aggressive.
—
Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 8 May 2023
Biden has the historic opportunity to spare countless Americans from the fear of retaliation by a spiteful bully.
—Pierce O'Donnell, The Mercury News, 12 Dec. 2024
Also, Philip Seymour Hoffman, whose memorably spiteful villain is an IMAX-sized testament to the late actor’s talent.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 Nov. 2024
But legitimate criticism has often been lost in spiteful lunacy.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 10 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for spiteful
Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 8 May 2023
Biden has the historic opportunity to spare countless Americans from the fear of retaliation by a spiteful bully.
—Pierce O'Donnell, The Mercury News, 12 Dec. 2024
Also, Philip Seymour Hoffman, whose memorably spiteful villain is an IMAX-sized testament to the late actor’s talent.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 Nov. 2024
But legitimate criticism has often been lost in spiteful lunacy.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 10 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for spiteful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiteful
Adjective
-
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
15 Feb. 2025
-
Maloof is suing the city of Palm Bay, the Palm Bay Police Department and the officer on claims including malicious prosecution and false arrest.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Even then, the final late twist with the penalty felt particularly cruel.—
Patrick Boyland,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
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Directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, Still Alice highlights the cruel nature of the illness, where a person can still feel present while simultaneously losing pieces of themselves, creating a unique kind of grief.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Nashville's Bad Idea is a wine bar and restaurant set in a former Presbyterian church that fell into disrepair after a vicious tornado.—
USA TODAY,
USA TODAY,
13 Feb. 2025
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By the time Hezbollah launched its bombardment of Israel in solidarity with Hamas' vicious attack on Israel, the militant Lebanese organization had managed to build a significant military capability under the nose of UNFIL and was more robust than ever before.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The two central characters, a mild bespectacled middle-school geek named Hal and his hateful abusive bully of a twin brother, Bill (both are played by Christian Convery), discover the monkey sealed away in a round box.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2025
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Indeed, Ye advertised his Yeezy website during the 2025 Super Bowl broadcast Sunday (Feb. 9), which aired amid a days-long storm of hateful tweets from the star targeting Jewish people.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Poles needs to find difference-makers, nasty offensive linemen, game-wrecking defensive linemen, ravenous pass rushers … again, the Bears have a lot of needs.—
Jon Greenberg,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
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Meanwhile, Stacey woke up with a nasty hangover from the night prior.—
Abigail Adams,
People.com,
25 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiteful. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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