cattiness

1 biting sharpness of feeling or expression the cattiness of the commentary for the televised awards was neither nice nor necessary Synonyms acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, asperity, bile, bitterness, acrimony, corrosiveness, mordancy, tartness, virulence, virulency, vitriolRelated Words gruffness, harshness, hostility, relentlessness, severity, sternness, vehemence; coldness, crossness, discourteousness, iciness, impoliteness, incivility, nastiness, rudeness, sourness, surliness, ungraciousness; anger, animosity, gall, jaundice, malevolence, malice, rancor, scorn, spite, spleen, venom, vindictiveness; jealousy, pique, resentment, sour grapesNear Antonyms civility, cordiality, courtesy, diplomacy, geniality, graciousness, kindness, politeness, tactfulness; compassion, softness, sweetness, sympathy, tenderness, warmth; oiliness, smoothness, suaveness, suavity, unctuousness, urbanity

2 the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm there's no reason for saying such hurtful things except sheer cattiness Synonyms malice, despite, hatefulness, malevolence, maliciousness, malignance, malignancy, malignity, meanness, nastiness, spite, spitefulness, spleen, venom, viciousnessRelated Words abusiveness, cruelty; abhorrence, abomination, execration, hate, hatred, loathing; animosity, antagonism, antipathy, bitterness, enmity, grudge, hostility, ill will, jaundice, mean-spiritedness, rancor, resentment; despicableness, invidiousness; vengefulness, vindictiveness; aversion, disgust, distaste, horror, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion; bitchery, bitchiness, contempt, disdain; jealousy, pique, resentment, scorn; bile, rancor, virulence, vitriolNear Antonyms devotion, love, passion; amiability, amicability, amity, civility, cordiality, friendliness, hospitality; adoration, ardor, infatuation, veneration, worship; affection, charity, kindliness, kindness; comity, empathy, friendship, goodwill, sympathy, understanding