as in cruel
feeling or showing a desire to cause harm or pain
a mean-spirited person He wrote a mean-spirited book review.
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Recent Examples of mean-spirited
While most are supportive, a fair number are critical, even mean-spirited.
—
Barbara Vandenburgh, USA TODAY, 16 June 2023
Barbara Vandenburgh, USA TODAY, 16 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mean-spirited
Adjective
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That is unacceptably cruel, corrupt, and undemocratic.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Instead, she was stripped of her bronze medal after a late score inquiry—a ruling that still feels cruel for an athlete who had delivered the performance of her life.—
Essence,
Essence,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The boos were booming and vicious.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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This ad hoc ecosystem of technology is creating a vicious cycle where the very technology meant to solve problems ends up creating more.—
Daniel Kendzior,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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West has previously apologized to the Jewish community, only to go on to make offensive and hateful remarks directed at them publicly.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
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Dearborn is home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the US and has frequently faced Islamophobic and hateful remarks.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The discrepancy has divided voters, stirred up nasty social media exchanges and even inspired an 18-year-old Lakota grad to throw his hat in the district's school board race.—
Grace Tucker,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
29 Oct. 2025
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And any school or school district that does try to discriminate, that man right there will probably first send you a nasty gram and then drop the hammer.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Social media were a bit more unkind.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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There’s a difference between sharing opinions that have been widely held on topics and hate speech that is unkind, uses names or wishes harm, by Doherty’s description.—
Darcie Moran,
Freep.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Various new characters join in on the fun, including Chris Elliott’s Riff Raff-style butler and Tori Spelling’s obnoxious try-hard friend, Alex.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
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An art conservator who'd prefer to be immersed in detail work, Sarah is bombing as the host of a dinner party where her entrepreneur husband (Tom Riley) hopes to impress an obnoxious prospective investor (Tom Goodman-Hill) when a literal explosive goes off in her neighborhood.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Meester holds her cards close to her chest, leaving us to wonder whether Joanne is being spiteful and shallow (given her trajectory … probably) or whether this woman is really that unbearable.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
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Several diss tracks followed, with the musicians hurling increasingly spiteful insults at each other relating to accusations of domestic abuse, exploitation and pedophilia.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The band was concerned about their record label’s reaction, but despite the movie’s scene with a Myers cameo as a contemptuous exec, Reid insists there was no confrontation.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
24 Sep. 2025
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There are some good, compassionate officers out there, but the general attitude has become cold, cruel and contemptuous toward homeless individuals.—
Bruce Higgins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mean-spirited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mean-spirited. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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