spleen

noun

ˈsplēn 

1

: a highly vascular ductless organ that is located in the left abdominal region near the stomach or intestine of most vertebrates and is concerned with final destruction of red blood cells, filtration and storage of blood, and production of lymphocytes

2

obsolete : the seat of emotions or passions

3

archaic : melancholy

4

: feelings of anger or ill will often suppressed

5

obsolete : a sudden impulse or whim : caprice

Synonyms of spleen

• anger
• indignation
• outrage
• rage
• fury
• wrath
• mood
• irritation

Choose the Right Synonym for spleen

malice, malevolence, ill will, spite, malignity, spleen, grudge mean the desire to see another experience pain, injury, or distress.

malice implies a deep-seated often unexplainable desire to see another suffer.

felt no malice toward their former enemies

malevolence suggests a bitter persistent hatred that is likely to be expressed in malicious conduct.

a look of dark malevolence

ill will implies a feeling of antipathy of limited duration.

ill will provoked by a careless remark

spite implies petty feelings of envy and resentment that are often expressed in small harassments.

petty insults inspired by spite

malignity implies deep passion and relentlessness.

a life consumed by motiveless malignity

spleen suggests the wrathful release of latent spite or persistent malice.

venting his spleen against politicians

grudge implies a harbored feeling of resentment or ill will that seeks satisfaction.

never one to harbor a grudge

Examples of spleen in a Sentence

vented her spleen and felt much better for having done so

the bill's failure to pass in the legislature was due to nothing more than partisan spleen

Recent Examples on the Web

In Chinese medicine, each of the five elements has an associated color, and yellow represents the Earth element, which governs the spleen and stomach — the digestive organs. — Karin Eldor, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

In other crashes, the handlebars are driven back into riders’ abdomens, causing severe damage to the liver, spleen and pancreas. — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026

Faced with a foreign infestation, the staid official from your local department of natural resources finally has occasion to vent a little spleen. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

It is stored in an inactive form in cells such as the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and immune system—acting as the body’s reserve bank, indicating how much iron is available for future use. — Tatiana Dias, Vogue, 30 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English splen, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French espleen, from Latin splen, from Greek splēn; akin to Latin lien spleen, Sanskrit plīhan

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing spleen

• vent one's spleen

Rhymes for spleen

• bean
• bein
• bien
• bouin
• clean
• deen
• diene
• gene
• glean
• jean
• keen
• lien

Kids Definition

spleen

noun

ˈsplēn 

1

: an organ containing many blood vessels that is located near the stomach or intestine of most vertebrates, destroys worn-out red blood cells, filters the blood, and produces some white blood cells

2

: feelings of anger or ill will that are often not expressed

Medical Definition

spleen

noun

ˈsplēn 

: a highly vascular ductless abdominal organ of vertebrates that resembles a gland in organization but is closely associated with the circulatory system, that plays a role in the final destruction of red blood cells, filtration and storage of blood, and production of lymphocytes, and that in humans is a dark purplish flattened oblong object of a soft fragile consistency lying near the cardiac end of the stomach and consisting largely of blood and lymphoid tissue enclosed in a fibroelastic capsule from which trabeculae ramify through the tissue of the organ which is divisible into a loose friable red pulp in intimate connection with the blood supply and with red blood cells free in its interstices and a denser white pulp chiefly of lymphoid tissue condensed in masses about the small arteries