spleen

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun spleen differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of spleen are grudge, ill will, malevolence, malice, malignity, and spite. While all these words mean "the desire to see another experience pain, injury, or distress," spleen suggests the wrathful release of latent spite or persistent malice.

venting his spleen against politicians

When is it sensible to use grudge instead of spleen?

Although the words grudge and spleen have much in common, grudge implies a harbored feeling of resentment or ill will that seeks satisfaction.

never one to harbor a grudge

When is ill will a more appropriate choice than spleen?

The words ill will and spleen can be used in similar contexts, but ill will implies a feeling of antipathy of limited duration.

ill will provoked by a careless remark

When can malevolence be used instead of spleen?

While the synonyms malevolence and spleen are close in meaning, malevolence suggests a bitter persistent hatred that is likely to be expressed in malicious conduct.

a look of dark malevolence

When could malice be used to replace spleen?

The synonyms malice and spleen are sometimes interchangeable, but malice implies a deep-seated often unexplainable desire to see another suffer.

felt no malice toward their former enemies

When would malignity be a good substitute for spleen?

The meanings of malignity and spleen largely overlap; however, malignity implies deep passion and relentlessness.

a life consumed by motiveless malignity

In what contexts can spite take the place of spleen?

The words spite and spleen are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, spite implies petty feelings of envy and resentment that are often expressed in small harassments.

petty insults inspired by spite

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 spleen The senior coroner for Cheshire, Jacqueline Devonish, said at the hearing that Lilly's spleen didn't rupture until the morning of her death, so there was nothing that could have previously alerted medics, according to the Guardian. Becca Longmire, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025 In theory, the technique could be used on a wide range of organs from brains to spleens, and everything in between. Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2025 By looking at tissues taken from organs throughout the body, including the heart, liver, pancreas, spleen, lung, skin and muscles, researchers in a new study determined that aging starts to accelerate from 45 to 55. Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025 The spleen surgery, however, unveiled a type of cancer called hemangiosarcoma, McLean said. Steve Metsch, Chicago Tribune, 15 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for spleen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spleen
Noun
  • Verbatim Reginald Dwayne Betts A 2012 essay from the American Poetry Review on poetry and the architecture of anger.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Morocco Anti-government protests fueled by anger over Morocco pouring money into preparations for the 2030 World Cup instead of public services have raged in the country for nearly a week.
    Connor Greene, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • More than avoiding malice, we are called to take responsibility for the impact of our words.
    Andrew Weinstein, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Understand that controlling behaviors may stem from fear and insecurity rather than malice.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • McBride sets the political context for Swift’s savage indignation by noting that 1727–1729 saw three successive harvest failures in Ireland.
    Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Passions run as high as style, and candor and fervor blend with humor, to endow anecdotes and reflections with pride and purpose along with mourning and indignation.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Networks and stations should know that such venom could now carry sizable public pushback.
    Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Despite being the most abundant, their venom is not very potent, the wildlife agency said.
    Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Doing it all at once would trigger public outrage.
    Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
  • The remark made waves on social media, sparking outrage and disappointment across the HBCU community.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Raised under Augusta’s religious terror and hatred for women, Ed tries to hide his penchant for ladies’ underwear and masturbation to no avail.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Not as a land of fear, not as a divisiveness, not of government censorship, not of hatred.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Then there are authors like Rachel Harrison, Gwendolyn Kiste and Hailey Piper who take the experiences and rage of simply being a woman and use the guardrails of horror to create something wholly new.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
  • For example, in the 19th century, Victorian hair wreaths (made from human hair) were all the rage throughout the country, said Savig.
    Ayana Archie, NPR, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Yes, although your character in that film, Lisa, is very put-together in spite of what’s going on in her life.
    Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
  • For all his individual stubbornness and spite, Milošević could not match the resilience and determination of Serbia’s citizens.
    Hanna Begić, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Spleen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spleen. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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