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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The cruel irony is that the very systems designed to promote inclusion can inadvertently reinforce exclusion.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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And of course, to serve as cruel juxtaposition, deGrom retired the Mets in order in the bottom of the inning on just six pitches.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As and when evidence against that narrative comes out, either via six monthly reports or from some other source, the crash in the stock price will be more vicious than otherwise.—
Shivaram Rajgopal,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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In these homes, the conflict between budgeting and feeding kids well creates huge psychological stress for parents, which can lead to anxiety and depression, fueling the vicious cycle of stress and unhealthy eating, Beresin said.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Political analyst Matthew Dowd took to MSNBC to say that Kirk’s hateful words had led to hateful actions.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
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In other words, Cartman is irate that Trump has stolen his hateful, vindictive shtick.—
Nick Marx,
The Conversation,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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One said bump is a particularly nasty, literal wig-snatching fight between Vida and Chi-Chi.—
Jen Juneau,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
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In a nutshell, people are easily irritated and inclined to get caught up in nasty power struggles because they’re entrenched in their own views.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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While many users found the mix-up hilarious, others piled on with unkind remarks about her size and appearance.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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The Dodger Stadium mound proved unkind to Darvish again Sunday in what ended up as a lost weekend for San Diego.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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So yes, be yourself, so long as that self is not selfish, impulsive, or obnoxious.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Be a Good Sport Even if—especially if—you’re rooting against your hosts’ team, don’t be obnoxious in your fandom.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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They were clouded by an entire era of underperformance, tough luck and spiteful ownership.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
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Being consumed by negative emotions like envy or engaging in spiteful behavior does nobody any good.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The wit and wordplay never cease, and there’s much pleasure to be drawn from Colman and Cumberbatch spitting McNamara’s contemptuous dialogue with aplomb.—
Katie Walsh,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Aug. 2025
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Some of the reviews and the coverage were so contemptuous.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mean-spirited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mean-spirited. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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