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
-
The forest had taught him that city dwellers could often be regulated by cruel and rather unpredictable codes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
-
That Maduro is a cruel dictator is clear; that Trump intends more than just his arrest (such as taking their oil) is equally clear.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
These vicious youths fell the infected almost for sport, which undersells the source of terror so essential to the series.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Jan. 2026
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His charges there include interference with law enforcement, criminal desecration and having a vicious dog at large, according to a news release from KCK police.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Thompson, meanwhile, savors every contemptuous glare and hateful retort Anna regularly supplies.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
8 Jan. 2026
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At best, both Labour and the Conservatives have spent political capital on an activist who has repeatedly expressed thoughtless and hateful views in public.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Richards has missed Palace’s previous four fixtures after picking up a nasty foot injury against Leeds in the Premier League just before Christmas.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
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Ra Shaya Kyle, feeling miserable with a nasty cold that kept her out of practice for two days, scored a career-high 30 points to lead the University of Miami women’s basketball team to an 89-73 win over rival Florida State University on Sunday afternoon at the Watsco Center.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Screams at the refs, unkind words hurled at McMillan as the team made its exit.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
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The end of the millennium was not unkind to Hart.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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On the other hand, what made her an obnoxious little sister served her well in school.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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This pick from Acedeck looks light and airy (no obnoxious black plastic rectangles with bright red numbers here), especially in this soft putty color.—
Brittney Morgan,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Glenn Close, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington and Andrew Scott play members of the spiteful holy man’s cult of personality.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
25 Nov. 2025
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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
Adjective
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Thompson, meanwhile, savors every contemptuous glare and hateful retort Anna regularly supplies.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
8 Jan. 2026
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All of these flaws are conveniently overlooked by the purveyors of all of these instruments and done so in a way that is contemptuous of those who would contest it or even quibble with it.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
30 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mean-spirited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mean-spirited. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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