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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 spiteful
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Phil, a spiteful rancher who torments his brother's (Jesse Plemons) new wife (Kirsten Dunst) and her sensitive teenage son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), against the backdrop of 1920s Montana.
—
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Apr. 2026
That the spiteful man sees only as far as the spiteful man can, and that can produce a work of art that is successful, but maybe not ultimately great.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Tourette’s can feel spiteful and searches out the most upsetting tic for me personally and for those around me.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026
Melvin Williams, a professor of communication and media studies at Pace University, says the spiteful nature of Swift and Lively's texts doesn't reflect well on either woman − and both have probably lost some fans as a result.
—Charles Trepany, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiteful
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Apr. 2026
That the spiteful man sees only as far as the spiteful man can, and that can produce a work of art that is successful, but maybe not ultimately great.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Tourette’s can feel spiteful and searches out the most upsetting tic for me personally and for those around me.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026
Melvin Williams, a professor of communication and media studies at Pace University, says the spiteful nature of Swift and Lively's texts doesn't reflect well on either woman − and both have probably lost some fans as a result.
—Charles Trepany, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiteful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiteful
Adjective
-
Tech companies are developing tools and collaborating, yet voluntary efforts struggle against sophisticated malicious actors.—
Richard Fowler,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
For cybersecurity companies, identifying a digital agent crawling a website used to be enough evidence of malicious activity.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Passing a child who is unprepared may be the cruelest act of all.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
20 June 2026
-
This is your news to share or not share; posting about this on Facebook strikes me as cruel.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
The story follows vicious ex-con, Max Cady (Bardem) and his revenge plot against married couple Tom (Patrick Wilson) and Anna Bowden (Adams).—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
Mahmic’s vicious goal in traffic salvaged some good feeling before a decisive showdown with Qatar next week.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
On Sunday, June 14, UFC fighter Josh Hokit took the opportunity after his win on the White House lawn to repeat a hateful lie about the former first lady.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
-
Authorities suspect Mullis placed antisemitic flyers showing hateful symbols such as a noose, a swastika and imagery associated with the German Nazi Party.—
Maveah Griffith
June 12,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Those early 2010s Blackhawks teams were nasty, and they were all led by Toews.—
Matt Reigle,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
-
Lindy Ruff’s system was a tough fit, and a nasty ankle injury derailed his initial momentum in upstate New York.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spiteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiteful. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
