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
But legitimate criticism has often been lost in spiteful lunacy.
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Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 10 Oct. 2024
In the book, Benedict falls for Sophie Beckett, the daughter of an earl who’s been hidden away from the Ton and forced to work as a housemaid by her spiteful stepmother.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 16 Sep. 2024
The first season of the Netflix show was released in August 2024 and features Jeff Goldblum as a paranoid and spiteful Zeus who is fearful that a prophecy about his downfall is coming to fruition.
—Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 5 Sep. 2024
The lines for this spiteful battle were drawn shortly after Rouhani ascended to the presidency in 2013 and urged the IRGC generals to stay out of politics and economics.
—Alex Vatanka, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2016
See all Example Sentences for spiteful 
Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 10 Oct. 2024
In the book, Benedict falls for Sophie Beckett, the daughter of an earl who’s been hidden away from the Ton and forced to work as a housemaid by her spiteful stepmother.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 16 Sep. 2024
The first season of the Netflix show was released in August 2024 and features Jeff Goldblum as a paranoid and spiteful Zeus who is fearful that a prophecy about his downfall is coming to fruition.
—Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 5 Sep. 2024
The lines for this spiteful battle were drawn shortly after Rouhani ascended to the presidency in 2013 and urged the IRGC generals to stay out of politics and economics.
—Alex Vatanka, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2016
See all Example Sentences for spiteful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiteful
Adjective
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While conceding that standard phishing methods, those that typically require threat actors to craft malicious emails that are delivered to a wide audience, are relatively easy for email platforms to detect and block, that’s not the case with this phishless attack.Davey Winder, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
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The complaint alleges malicious prosecution and defamation during the manslaughter case and also accuses the defendants of intentionally mishandling evidence in the case, which stemmed from the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film Rust.Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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And having more thoughtful conversations doesn’t preclude the need sometimes to confront those who are needlessly cruel or organizations that benefit from such exploitation.Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 18 Jan. 2025
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In recent months, the Justice Department and the state filed thousands of pages of new records in the lawsuit, including reports and sworn statements from pediatricians, scholars and others who describe Florida’s policies as archaic and cruel.Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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That’s when Evans, in a full sprint, blindsided Lattimore with a vicious hit in the back and knocked him to the ground.Rick Stroud, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2025
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Several fast-growing wildfires fueled by a vicious Southern California wind storm are devastating communities across the Los Angeles region, with homes being burned to the ground and tens of thousands of people evacuating to safety.Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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There’s no legal argument to be made against this turn away from fact-checking and towards a more freewheeling, more disinformation-laden, more confusing, more hateful and less illuminating approach.New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 13 Jan. 2025
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With Zuckerberg’s decision to rescind policies barring hateful speech, he’s made clear that distinction is worth the possibility of political clout come Inauguration Day.Makena Kelly, WIRED, 9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The net front is the nastiest place on an NHL rink.Chris Branch, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
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Make sure your items are delivered on time before nasty weather hits by signing up for a Prime membership.Christopher Murray, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near spiteful
Cite this Entry
“Spiteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiteful. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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