1
as in anger
an intense emotional state of displeasure with someone or something
vented her spleen and felt much better for having done so
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in malice
the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm
the bill's failure to pass in the legislature was due to nothing more than partisan spleen
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spleen
Although their conditions seemed to be stable, in February 2025, a test for kidney stones revealed that Cori, now 40, had a precancerous growth on her pancreas, requiring her to undergo surgery to remove her spleen and part of her pancreas.
—
Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Mesopotamian patients were instructed to seek divine help specifically for complaints of the ear, spleen, and pancreas.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Certain medical conditions also increase risk, including immune system disorders, HIV infection and not having a functioning spleen.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Surgeons found the girl with what prosecutors described as significant internal injuries, including a fractured posterior rib, liver and spleen lacerations and significant internal bleeding.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spleen
Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Mesopotamian patients were instructed to seek divine help specifically for complaints of the ear, spleen, and pancreas.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Certain medical conditions also increase risk, including immune system disorders, HIV infection and not having a functioning spleen.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Surgeons found the girl with what prosecutors described as significant internal injuries, including a fractured posterior rib, liver and spleen lacerations and significant internal bleeding.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spleen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spleen
Noun
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When John begins spitting out his food, his mother, Heather (Shirley Henderson), worn down by exhaustion and anger, banishes him from the dinner table—the first in an unceasing series of maternal rejections.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
And after confusion came anger.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Coel bites into the acerbic bitterness of that history in their early exchanges, with a vein of malice in questions supposedly intended to reveal who Mary has become and hence what kind of dress will feel true to her.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Trump’s suit failed to establish actual malice, the judge ruled.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Surely there was something more beneath all this mild pleasantness, some edge of resentment, a few shards of indignation on the brink of cutting through.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
To his astonishment — and culinary indignation — the screen returned an absolute void.—
Paula Soria,
AZCentral.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The injured party should not apply a tourniquet, apply ice, try to suck out the venom or cut the wound, the agency warned.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The two alternate versions of each other trade insults, but Spidey Miles charges up an electric venom shock and frees himself.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As of Saturday afternoon, Swalwell ignored calls to drop out of the race and resign from Congress, even as outrage and criticism swelled.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
-
When outliers such as Jeff Sessions and Chris Christie straggled into his camp, their betrayal provoked mockery and outrage.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Here was a player who had without doubt suffered more abuse and more taunts and more hatred than any player in the history of the game.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Well, maybe that hatred of losing — truly not accepting it, and confronting others who are OK with it — is the pathway to winning.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But what do designers think about the resurgence of the heavily curtained look, which was all the rage in the 1980s?—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
11 Apr. 2026
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Uthmeier has also gone out of his way to weaken criminal cases that don’t dovetail with his philosophy, including an Orlando road-rage case where a man was shot to death.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As if out of spite, Dido became the most normal pop star in the world.—
Shaad D’Souza,
Pitchfork,
19 Apr. 2026
-
In spite of their impact on climate change, fossil fuels are winning the race.—
Dave Trecker,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spleen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spleen. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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