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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spiteful
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
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
See all Example Sentences for spiteful 
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
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
See all Example Sentences for spiteful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiteful
Adjective
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Ultimately, the debate over the ability of malicious hackers to trigger a continent-wide blackout is moot and a distraction from the issue that really matters.—
Dan Goodin,
Ars Technica,
23 Jan. 2025
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Android users can also keep Google Play Protect enabled to scan for malicious code—even on sideloaded apps.—
Kate Irwin,
PCMAG,
22 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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But Canadian model and actress Kat Pasion, whose credits include Altered Carbon, The Flash and Nancy Drew, appears in the ID series to help corroborate the vicious abuse and assaults that Ventura allegedly endured and chronicled in her landmark civil suit.—
Etan Vlessing,
The Hollywood Reporter,
23 Jan. 2025
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Combined with a vicious splitter, which is one of the best in the world right now, Sasaki has proved unstoppable at times.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Garvey’s legacy has been complicated, especially due to his sometimes hateful and violent rhetoric against Jews, white people, Catholics, and other groups.—
Brady Knox,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
19 Jan. 2025
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The settlement, announced by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, requires Rutgers to take a series of actions to combat discrimination on campus after 400 reports of hateful incidents on campus were filed between July 2023 and June 2024.—
Fox News Staff,
Fox News,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The fight has been particularly nasty, with both sides trading harsh accusations against the other.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune Asia,
20 Jan. 2025
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First Lady Nancy Reagan was upset, thinking her husband was being too nasty.—
George Skelton,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near spiteful
Cite this Entry
“Spiteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiteful. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
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