as in malice
the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm
nothing more than unprovoked meanness drove him to smash the child's toy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meanness
Noun
-
This wicker man becomes a devoted partner, sparking jealousy and malice in her narrow-minded neighbors, exploring themes of love, cruelty, and societal conformity.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026 -
Trump’s malice and incompetence alienates voters, who then publicly voice their discontent, encouraging other political actors and institutions to see him not as a crusading avatar of national destiny but as a weakened figure.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office announced Monday that Hunter Roy will serve six years behind bars after pleading guilty to cruelty to animals and endangering the welfare of a child.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
There was an implicit cruelty behind the exercise.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Anti-Israel letter writers might want to direct their venom at the brutality that’s going on in Syria at the present time.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Then their own mother turned venom against them, the object of their wounding telling them that the shape of their wounds was never really there.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Global leaders reflected on rising antisemitism and the need for unity to combat hatred and war, drawing parallels to defeating Nazism in 1945.—
Vanessa Gera,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The annual global event remembers the 6 million Jewish victims and millions of other victims and the commitment to stand against hatred and intolerance.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Meanness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meanness. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
