MEAN-SPIRITED Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

mean-spirited

adjective

Definition of mean-spirited

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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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of mean-spirited While most are supportive, a fair number are critical, even mean-spirited. — Barbara Vandenburgh, USA TODAY, 16 June 2023

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mean-spirited

Adjective

Who could be so cruel as to cut off their family from the family plan?

— Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 1 Aug. 2026
Influencer culture didn’t exist yet, but some designers were cruel and catty, even without the current omnipresent evil of social media.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 July 2026

Definition of cruel

Adjective

Several celebrities and their PR teams have denounced Hilton for his vicious public insults, including Khloe Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, and Lady Gaga, a former friend of Hilton.

— Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
The prequel details the vicious battle between former friends Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) for the Iron Throne and its subsequent reverberations.

— Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of vicious

Adjective

Under its guidance, untold hectares of nasty greenery have succumbed to billions of dollars in herbicide.

— Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
The schedule is nasty, too, with the Wolverines’ first five Power 4 opponents all capable of winning nine or more games this year.

— Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of nasty

Adjective

Meanwhile, the running frenemy dynamic between senior trooper Thorny (Chandrasekhar) and his coarse, obnoxious colleague Farva (Kevin Heffernan) takes more strain than usual when Farva becomes engaged to Thorny’s sister Sarita (Hannah Simone).

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026
Did Stevens outrun the final polls, in part, because some Democrats thought El-Sayed’s supporters were obnoxious?

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of obnoxious

Adjective

The Larson campaign became openly contemptuous of Bronin at the May convention.

— Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
The man didn’t catch Serena’s contemptuous expression, however, too busy peeling bills from a money clip and pressing them into his date’s hand.

— Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026

Definition of contemptuous

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“Mean-spirited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mean-spirited. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of mean-spirited

adjective

Example Sentences

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