spiteful

adjective

spite·​ful ˈspīt-fəl How to pronounce spiteful (audio)
: filled with or showing spite : malicious
spitefully adverb
spitefulness noun

Examples of spiteful in a Sentence

the gossip would utter the most vicious things with a spiteful smile
Recent Examples on the Web Share [Findings] Unaffiliated voters are growing more spiteful toward both Democrats and Republicans. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 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 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 See all Example Sentences for spiteful 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spiteful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spiteful was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near spiteful

Cite this Entry

“Spiteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spiteful. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

spiteful

adjective
spite·​ful ˈspīt-fəl How to pronounce spiteful (audio)
: filled with or showing spite : malicious
spitefully adverb
spitefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on spiteful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!