spiteful

adjective

ˈspīt-fəl How to pronounce spiteful (audio)
Definition of spitefulnext
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

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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 But again and again throughout Thursday's hearing, the fraying of bonds between Kennedy and his former party was on full display as spiteful comments were passed back and forth. — CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026 But again and again throughout Thursday’s hearing, the fraying of bonds between Kennedy and his former party was on full display as spiteful comments were passed back and forth. — Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for spiteful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiteful
  1. malicious
  2. cruel
  3. vicious
  4. hateful
  5. nasty
Adjective
  • Use strong security software Good security software can help protect you from malicious links, phishing attempts and other online threats that may try to steal your information.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Many phones silently join familiar-looking networks without user confirmation, a behavior that attackers exploit through malicious wireless access points that mimic trusted hotspots.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of malicious
Adjective
  • Success can feel like a cruel tease, fleetingly unattainable and yet when finally achieved, too dangerous to enjoy too long.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
  • If Russia behaved badly, that was the fault of its primitive and cruel Asian side, a notion that conveniently created the fiction that Western countries are not capable of similar cruelty.
    — Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 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

Browse Nearby Words

spited
spiteful
spitefully
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spiteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiteful. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on spiteful

Nglish: Translation of spiteful for Spanish Speakers

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