as in malice
the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm
cut down their neighbors' tree out of sheer spitefulness
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spitefulness
Noun
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Nancy’s malice ran the gamut from the petty to the pivotal.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026 -
Officers arrested Granger on Tuesday and charged him with rape, aggravated assault, malice murder, and two counts of felony murder.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Since the length of the fangs and the amount of venom injected depends on the size of the snake (an adult timber rattler may have fangs half an inch long), the copperhead’s bite is less deep and severe.—
Dr. C. E. Kuschel,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
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If bitten, Dowd advises snake bite victims to remain calm, limit movement to slow the spread of venom and call 911 immediately.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Gracie’s discovery is squelched and this character’s value to the play comes in establishing how institutional silence can have an equally pernicious impact on confronting social hatreds.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
7 Apr. 2026
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There is nothing quite like the theater and hatred that comes when the Penguins and Flyers share a sheet of ice.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged Nikolas Hart, 25, with six counts, including felony animal cruelty and misdemeanors related to allegations of domestic violence, witness tampering and disobeying a court order.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
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It will be used to invalidate our state laws and perpetuate a system of animal cruelty that predominantly serves the interests of factory farms.—
John Cleveland,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In spite of that thrilling history, the painting leaves Graham-Dixon unmoved.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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While Dems might win in 2026 in spite of all of their problems, a false sense of security would not bode well for 2028 — and beyond.—
Matt K. Lewis,
Twin Cities,
12 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Spitefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spitefulness. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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