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
Played by a sniveling Casey Siemaszko, Billy is spineless and spiteful.
—
Sezin Devi Koehler September 1, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Where internet trolls often come off as flippant or spiteful, there is a relentless sense of play and mastery of language in even McNally’s most needling posts.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2025
But to unsuspecting humans, killer bees sure seem aggressive, spiteful and terrifying.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 23 June 2025
There’s also a spiteful $1 billion cut from the budget of the nation’s capital, a conspicuously Democratic city.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiteful
Sezin Devi Koehler September 1, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Where internet trolls often come off as flippant or spiteful, there is a relentless sense of play and mastery of language in even McNally’s most needling posts.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2025
But to unsuspecting humans, killer bees sure seem aggressive, spiteful and terrifying.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 23 June 2025
There’s also a spiteful $1 billion cut from the budget of the nation’s capital, a conspicuously Democratic city.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiteful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiteful
Adjective
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
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In fact, malicious hackers often strike when their target’s guard is down.—
Richard Forno,
The Conversation,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This culture is incredibly cruel, and things have gotten really obscene.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Oct. 2025
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Supporters of the new laws praised the legislation as a major step toward ending cruel breeding practices and protecting consumers.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Make people laugh and help people out and just keep that vicious cycle of fun going.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
13 Oct. 2025
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Some beaches along the East Coast might no longer exist after a vicious storm threatening significant coastal flooding passes through the area this weekend, AccuWeather warned in an email to reporters on Thursday.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Many figures not only on the Israeli right, but also in the West, argue that the Palestinian people and their cause are inherently hateful and prone to anti-Jewish violence.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
7 Oct. 2025
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The show follows Ed Gein (Charlie Hunnam), an unassuming and odd man, working his family’s farm under the watchful eye of his hateful and vicious mother, Augusta (Laurie Metcalf).—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Removing Stains From Wood Cabinets Food, beverages, and dirty hands can leave nasty stains behind, even after cleaning.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Oct. 2025
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The overriding question should be will the Texas line figure out how to protect QB Arch Manning from OU’s nasty front four?—
Matt Hayes,
USA TODAY,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiteful. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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