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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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

Oleksa watches them from the other end of the camera feed, in the middle of a gnarly interrogation with Kyle and Cruz — the latter silently watching Oleksa go through a cruel facsimile of her own violent recruitment crucible in the first season.

— Andy Andersen, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2026
Murder charge 'cruel and unusual,' advocate says Of cases where a child was unknowingly left in a car, about 41% do not lead to criminal charges against caregivers, Rollins said.

— Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of cruel

Adjective

But Roy’s story of Annie (Arjun Raina), a New Delhi architecture student caught in a vicious cycle of failing and repeating his studies, gradually reveals itself as a sharp and poignant portrayal of youth, deftly poised between hope and cynicism.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026
Lawsuits, bureaucratic battles, boisterously divisive council arguments and vicious social media debates have been part of Bloomfield life for years, and intensified during Danielle Wong’s contentious time as mayor.

— Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of vicious

Adjective

The league's anti-hate committee was formed last year to deal with hateful and abusive online comments directed at players and the league.

— S.E. Jenkins, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
But arguably the script by Jones and director Brunner might have been a skoosh more impactful if the small-minded townsfolk, clearly coded as bigoted MAGA types, weren’t quite so hateful with only a few exceptions.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of hateful

Adjective

The former Cardinal is an absolute brawler with over 90 NFL starts who brings the exact nasty, tone-setting violence this interior unit needs.

— Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026
Greg and Denise are having some marital issues, but everybody needs to put other concerns aside to stay alive with nasty raptors and other hungry beasties around.

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of nasty

Adjective

Stuff like Caitlin Clark getting mugged with no foul being called, or Sophie Cunningham pointing at some obnoxious player, or ESPN drooling over a coach wearing a pro-trans shirt.

— Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
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

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 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of mean-spirited

adjective

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