as in malice
the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm
spread cruel lies out of pure spite
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
sometimes, I swear, she keeps doing that just to spite me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 spite
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
16 June 2026
The visitors got out to a huge lead in the first inning and rode it all the way to the end, in spite of the Royals’ best efforts to rally.
—
Emily Curiel,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
Candidates are definitely choosing — to spite Hicks.
—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spite
Noun
Trump had added his own name to the facade in December, over loud protests and in spite of lawsuits filed to stop him, and in spite of the law, which reserves such powers for Congress.
—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
16 June 2026
The visitors got out to a huge lead in the first inning and rode it all the way to the end, in spite of the Royals’ best efforts to rally.
—
Emily Curiel,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
Verb
The rest of the episode is consumed with Carl’s soft opening for Soft Bar, the alcohol-free social environment that exists solely to spite Lindsay Hubbard.
—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
Candidates are definitely choosing — to spite Hicks.
—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spite
Noun
-
Although Ashley had alleged things like malice, ill-will and improper motives by Adam, that still fell short of proving that Adam knew that his statements were false.
-
The documentary explores the dark web of fraud, deception and malice that led Parker to feign a pregnancy to try to bolster her relationship with boyfriend Wade Griffin — and when her fake due date passed, kill Hancock for her baby, Braxlynn Sage.
Verb
-
Damian used to get annoyed with his father's motivational chats about responsibility.
-
Three hours before the parade is set to begin, paradegoers are already annoyed at the disorganization and slow-moving lines.
Noun
-
One common misconception is that lionfish are inedible because of their venom.
-
Allergic reactions and anaphylaxis have been reported in patients using bee venom therapy.
Verb
-
Oh, and more often than not, nobody bothers to check whether the change intervention actually worked, or whether leaders improve their performance after all!
-
The chest pain that had been bothering her finally let up.
Noun
-
Police investigations showed that the pair are suspected of displaying seditious items and selling publications with seditious content inside the shop, including materials inciting hatred against the city's government, the judiciary and law enforcement agencies, the government said.
-
Not drinking seemed to me synonymous with a hatred of pleasure, a fascist quest for purity.
Verb
-
Residents were advised that while smoke may be irritating—particularly for those sensitive to air quality—there is currently no order for evacuation or shelter-in-place, despite a similar order already having been issued and lifted twice since the fire's ignition.
-
Ammonia is a common industrial chemical that can irritate the eyes and respiratory system when present in elevated concentrations.
Noun
-
These passages highlight the typically human cruelty and hypocrisy of fighting for one’s own liberty while denying it to one’s neighbors.
-
Last week, Dixon also pleaded no contest to the three felony animal cruelty charges.
Verb
-
The necessity of the trip at all is what's been bugging me.
-
His doctor had been bugging him for years to get a colonoscopy because of his age, but Driggers declined.
Cite this Entry
“Spite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spite. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
