as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
despiteful treatment of his poor relations during their visit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despiteful
Adjective
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Claude initially warned the unknown user of malicious intent during their conversation about the Mexican government, but eventually complied with the attacker’s requests and executed thousands of commands on government computer networks, the researchers said.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026 -
Here’s the Harvest Data The DNR said the charges for hunter harassment and malicious destruction of a blind were filed with the County Prosecutor’s office.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Indeed, the covert interventions so central to the Cold War, which these men embodied, relied on some of the cruelest instruments in the tool kit of modern statecraft—assassination, coup d’état, mass murder, psychological manipulation, surrogate warfare, torture, and terror.—
Alfred McCoy,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
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In what has to be the cruelest Survivor fate ever, Francesca came back to avenge being voted out first… and was then promptly voted out first again!—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Feb. 2026
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These forces—economic uncertainty, political division, and toxic algorithms—work in a vicious cycle to try and tell us that empathy is weakness… that kindness is gullibility… that sincerity is for suckers.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Coventry said at a news conference last week that the IOC has a safeguarding unit that monitors the organization’s social media platforms for hateful messages.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
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The other 1/3 were very hateful with threats, etc.—
Claire Osborn,
Austin American Statesman,
23 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Despiteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despiteful. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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