despitefulness

noun

Definition of despitefulnessnext
as in disdain
open dislike for someone or something considered unworthy of one's concern or respect the undisguised despitefulness with which the fashion designer announces his "10 worst" list

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for despitefulness
  1. disdain
  2. contempt
  3. hatred
Noun
  • Yet, Hizzoner’s visceral disdain for the Jewish state carries troubling undertones of antisemitism.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 25 July 2026
  • Her business-strategy forecasting was met with sarcasm and disdain — her role as pop’s leading philosopher somewhat rejected by people online.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 23 July 2026
Definition of disdain
Noun
  • After Navarro failed to comply with the subpoena, he was indicted and later convicted on two counts of contempt of Congress, one for failing to produce documents and a second for failing to testify.
    — Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 21 July 2026
  • In June 2022, Cuban authorities sentenced Otero Alcántara to five years in prison on charges including public disorder, contempt and insulting national symbols.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of contempt
Noun
  • Considering the deep-rooted hatred that defined the Bruins-Canadiens rivalry, Neely was the ultimate villain.
    — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 25 July 2026
  • Engelbert will meet with the executive committee of the players’ union on Tuesday to discuss the recent uptick in online hatred and threats directed toward players.
    — Doug Feinberg, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of hatred
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

despitefully
despitefulness
despites
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Despitefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despitefulness. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of kludge

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All