as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
the gossip would utter the most vicious things with a spiteful smile
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Recent Examples of spiteful
Being consumed by negative emotions like envy or engaging in spiteful behavior does nobody any good.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Watch The Witcher on Netflix Beef On this Emmy-winning dramedy anthology, Ali Wong and Steven Yeun star as two spiteful strangers who meet during a fit of road rage.
—Jessica Booth, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
Played by a sniveling Casey Siemaszko, Billy is spineless and spiteful.
—Sezin Devi Koehler September 1, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
But to unsuspecting humans, killer bees sure seem aggressive, spiteful and terrifying.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiteful
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Watch The Witcher on Netflix Beef On this Emmy-winning dramedy anthology, Ali Wong and Steven Yeun star as two spiteful strangers who meet during a fit of road rage.
—Jessica Booth, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
Played by a sniveling Casey Siemaszko, Billy is spineless and spiteful.
—Sezin Devi Koehler September 1, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
But to unsuspecting humans, killer bees sure seem aggressive, spiteful and terrifying.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiteful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiteful
Adjective
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Police believe the act was done with malicious intent.—
Wren Smetana,
AZCentral.com,
26 Oct. 2025
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In Pahani’s 2006 award-winning comedy Offside, about the cruel cultural chains binding Iranian women, a group of young women attempt to gain entry to a stadium to watch a World Cup qualifying match between Iran and Japan.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
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There is no reason to be cruel to people.—
Sigal Ratner-Arias,
Billboard,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This creates a vicious cycle where shame is a currency, and the only person who actually pays a price is the one who is mocked.—
Eli Thompson,
Rolling Stone,
25 Oct. 2025
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After their parents got the police involved, the case remained unsolved for months until the FBI uncovered the shocking truth of who was behind the vicious messages after all.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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According to research from Copyleaks, an AI analysis firm that helps businesses and institutions navigate the shifting landscape of this emergent technology, a new trend has produced Sora videos of celebrities appearing to spew hateful racist epithets.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
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Other fits have been hateful, veering into racist and antisemitic diatribes.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The discrepancy has divided voters, stirred up nasty social media exchanges and even inspired an 18-year-old Lakota grad to throw his hat in the district's school board race.—
Grace Tucker,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
29 Oct. 2025
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And any school or school district that does try to discriminate, that man right there will probably first send you a nasty gram and then drop the hammer.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiteful. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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