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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Actual malice is the legal standard by which courts determine if someone is liable for libel.—
Keely Bastow,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Apr. 2026 -
However, the evidence of actual malice does not approach the clear and convincing standard.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hence, iron likely provides the structural integrity needed to hold struggling prey long enough for the venom to take effect.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Movement can help venom spread through the body.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In the centuries since colonists waged war against the crown, American’s attitudes toward the royals have shifted from hatred to adoration.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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But the War on Terror persisted and mutated into nightmares in Iraq and Afghanistan, and then Syria, which unleashed that darkness in the form of terrorist states and a refugee crisis that spread anti-Muslim and anti-migrant hatred to Europe, the United States, and beyond.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Initially, the couple was arrested on charges of first-degree manslaughter, first-degree unlawful restraint, intentional cruelty to persons, risk of injury to a minor and conspiracy to commit risk of injury to a minor.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
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There was a particular cruelty in having lived with her hearing for 28 years before losing it.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, Guatemala remains on the Watch List in spite of efforts to address issues with IP enforcement.—
Kate Nishimura,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
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None of this would’ve been possible without Lively and Baldoni, adversaries whose spite and resources compelled them to continue to pursue litigation when just about everyone else in their positions would have quickly settled in the cloaked realm of arbitration.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Spitefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spitefulness. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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