vin·dic·tive
vin-ˈdik-tiv 
vindictively
adverb
vindictiveness
noun
vin·dic·tive·ness
-tivnə̇s,
-tēv also -təv-
plural -es
: the quality or state of being vindictive
a refusal that suggested … puritanical vindictiveness—
Alan Gregg
Alan GreggExamples of vindictive in a Sentence
Adjective
Well, maybe actually waging vendettas is a bad idea, but to be known for your vindictiveness can be a great advantage, for then people will take care not to cross you. And maybe the surest way of acquiring a reputation for vindictiveness is actually to be vindictive.
—David Papineau, New York Times Book Review, 11 May 1997
And though his [John Simon's] caustic wit can sometimes sound more personally vindictive than objectively critical, it allows him to plow through a lot of literary pretentiousness.
—Andrea Barnet, New York Times Book Review, 19 Mar. 1989
The bear, seen in many aspects as humanlike, was subject to ambivalent attitudes: mainly, he was seen as a stand-in for benevolent supernaturals, but sometimes also as a dangerous and at times a vindictive and harmful one.
—William W. Fitzhugh & Aron Crowell, Crossroads of Continents, 1988
A machine gun lashed at him from across the river. … In the darkness, it spat a vindictive white light like an acetylene torch, and its sound was terrifying.
—Norman Mailer, The Naked and the Dead, 1948
In observing so long a silence I have been influenced much more by a vindictive purpose,—a purpose to punish you for your suspicion that I could possibly feel myself hurt or offended by any critical suggestion of yours …
—William Cowper 26 Feb. 1791,
in William Cowper's Letters, Edward Verrall Lucas, editor, 1924
It is not true that suffering ennobles the character; happiness does that sometimes, but suffering, for the most part, makes men petty and vindictive.
—W. Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence, 1919
be careful not to annoy the vindictive old woman who lives down the street
David Papineau, New York Times Book Review, 11 May 1997
And though his [John Simon's] caustic wit can sometimes sound more personally vindictive than objectively critical, it allows him to plow through a lot of literary pretentiousness.
—Andrea Barnet, New York Times Book Review, 19 Mar. 1989
The bear, seen in many aspects as humanlike, was subject to ambivalent attitudes: mainly, he was seen as a stand-in for benevolent supernaturals, but sometimes also as a dangerous and at times a vindictive and harmful one.
—William W. Fitzhugh & Aron Crowell, Crossroads of Continents, 1988
A machine gun lashed at him from across the river. … In the darkness, it spat a vindictive white light like an acetylene torch, and its sound was terrifying.
—Norman Mailer, The Naked and the Dead, 1948
In observing so long a silence I have been influenced much more by a vindictive purpose,—a purpose to punish you for your suspicion that I could possibly feel myself hurt or offended by any critical suggestion of yours …
—William Cowper 26 Feb. 1791,
in William Cowper's Letters, Edward Verrall Lucas, editor, 1924
It is not true that suffering ennobles the character; happiness does that sometimes, but suffering, for the most part, makes men petty and vindictive.
—W. Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence, 1919
be careful not to annoy the vindictive old woman who lives down the street
Recent Examples on the Web
Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 8 June 2026
Several prosecutors who played a role in the Broadview Six case have hired attorneys amid potential claims of vindictive prosecution and cover-up.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Harris has taken the religious patina of Alice Walker’s tale—most chiefly the Christian God, to whom Celie writes her heartsick journal entries after she is separated from her beloved sister, Nettie, by the monstrous Pa and the vindictive Mister—and dirties it, wisely.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Unfortunately, most divorces are messy, especially when one party is vindictive.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for vindictive
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Adjective
And late last month, a judge who was presiding over the Justice Department's prosecution of Kilmar Abrego Garcia dismissed the charges, finding the case was vindictive.
—Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 8 June 2026
Several prosecutors who played a role in the Broadview Six case have hired attorneys amid potential claims of vindictive prosecution and cover-up.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Harris has taken the religious patina of Alice Walker’s tale—most chiefly the Christian God, to whom Celie writes her heartsick journal entries after she is separated from her beloved sister, Nettie, by the monstrous Pa and the vindictive Mister—and dirties it, wisely.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Unfortunately, most divorces are messy, especially when one party is vindictive.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for vindictive
Cite this Entry
“Vindictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vindictive. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vindictive
adjective
vin·dic·tive
vin-ˈdik-tiv
1
: likely to seek revenge
a vindictive person
2
: intended to cause pain or anguish : spiteful
vindictive remarks
vindictively
adverb
vindictiveness
noun
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
