as in malice
the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm
nothing more than unprovoked meanness drove him to smash the child's toy
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Recent Examples of meanness
Sometimes the irony turns bitter and, with a typically Eastern European sensibility, highlights the paradoxes of institutions, as well as the madness and meanness born from the pursuit and preservation of power.
—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
After 1965, when African Americans’ right to vote was constitutionally recognized, the meanness continued.
—
Letters To The Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2026
The collective community is more important than the individual, and care trumps meanness.
—
Sarah Wang,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
Trump’s petulance, meanness, and willingness to punish a religious institution for its Church’s moral witness is a warning to every faith community in America.
—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
Would there be perpetual meanness and the absence of kindness toward each other as human beings?
—
Kevin Powell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
The result is a movie where the jokes are just mean, and the meanness isn’t funny, leading to a cynical denouement that’s been done many times before.
—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
16 Mar. 2026
Scott inflicts Ohm’s nonchalant meanness with a piercingly perverse matter-of-factness that places the character as far away as possible from the realm of likeability.
—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
There is still some of that here, but a lot of Martin’s light-touch meanness is drowned out by his insistence on describing his characters within the context of early COVID — pulling out those masks from the closet.
—
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
After 1965, when African Americans’ right to vote was constitutionally recognized, the meanness continued.
—
Letters To The Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2026
The collective community is more important than the individual, and care trumps meanness.
—
Sarah Wang,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
Trump’s petulance, meanness, and willingness to punish a religious institution for its Church’s moral witness is a warning to every faith community in America.
—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
Would there be perpetual meanness and the absence of kindness toward each other as human beings?
—
Kevin Powell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
The result is a movie where the jokes are just mean, and the meanness isn’t funny, leading to a cynical denouement that’s been done many times before.
—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
16 Mar. 2026
Scott inflicts Ohm’s nonchalant meanness with a piercingly perverse matter-of-factness that places the character as far away as possible from the realm of likeability.
—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
There is still some of that here, but a lot of Martin’s light-touch meanness is drowned out by his insistence on describing his characters within the context of early COVID — pulling out those masks from the closet.
—
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meanness
Noun
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Although Ashley had alleged things like malice, ill-will and improper motives by Adam, that still fell short of proving that Adam knew that his statements were false.
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The documentary explores the dark web of fraud, deception and malice that led Parker to feign a pregnancy to try to bolster her relationship with boyfriend Wade Griffin — and when her fake due date passed, kill Hancock for her baby, Braxlynn Sage.
Noun
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These passages highlight the typically human cruelty and hypocrisy of fighting for one’s own liberty while denying it to one’s neighbors.
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Last week, Dixon also pleaded no contest to the three felony animal cruelty charges.
Noun
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One common misconception is that lionfish are inedible because of their venom.
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Allergic reactions and anaphylaxis have been reported in patients using bee venom therapy.
Noun
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Police investigations showed that the pair are suspected of displaying seditious items and selling publications with seditious content inside the shop, including materials inciting hatred against the city's government, the judiciary and law enforcement agencies, the government said.
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Not drinking seemed to me synonymous with a hatred of pleasure, a fascist quest for purity.
Cite this Entry
“Meanness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meanness. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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