1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

vengefulness

noun

Definition of vengefulnessnext
as in vindictiveness

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 vengefulness This action demonstrates the president’s monumental cruelty, total lack of empathy and compassion, pathological narcissism, boundless vengefulness, abysmal ignorance and glaring immaturity. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026 The thought of this act of petty vengefulness, and others like it, were later on to fill me with remorse. — Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025 In her boredom — or maybe loose sense of vengefulness — Julie turns her attention to Paul’s best friend, Carey (Kyle Marvin), who has recently split from his wife. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vengefulness
  1. vindictiveness
  2. malice
  3. malevolence
  4. jealousy
  5. spite
  6. virulence
  7. resentment
  8. envy
Noun
  • Last month, Judge Crenshaw concluded that while there was insufficient evidence to prove actual vindictiveness, the government could not justify its sudden shift from wanting to deport Abrego Garcia to prosecuting him.
    — Laura Romero, ABC News, 22 June 2026
  • In less capable hands, her bitchiness, her vanity, her vindictiveness would have made her one-dimensional.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Definition of vindictiveness
Noun
  • Stacey Humphreys, 53, was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in the 2003 killings of 33-year-old Cyndi Williams and 21-year-old Lori Brown in an Atlanta suburb.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Dmitry Gorin, a former prosecutor, said in this case prosecutors would be able to prove implied malice from Rios driving.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of malice
Noun
  • Not malevolence but thoughtlessness was behind Eichmann’s deeds.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Andreas brings him to a rich guy’s place, where Luca catches the eye of a flamboyant coke-snorting crossdresser whose affect radiates malevolence.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of malevolence
Noun
  • Greed, jealousy, anger or the desire for power can exist in all of us.
    — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
  • According to investigators, Oxendine had displayed persistent jealousy and insecurity over the years regarding Whitman’s connection to Bean.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of jealousy
Noun
  • On a day of love and spite and contrasts, his words resonate.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Magneto’s words are said in spite to Charles, the man who will miss him the most — who cradles his helmet for hours after Apocalypse has gone, and who keeps reliving the memory of his death over and over again throughout the season.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of spite
Noun
  • Firefighters and authorities in both European countries were caught off guard by the virulence of the fires, which were fueled by high temperatures and the long-term effects of climate change.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
  • The virulence of the French and Spanish wildfires, fueled by high temperatures and the long-term effects of climate change, caught fire crews and authorities off guard.
    — Mark Carlson, Fortune, 25 July 2026
Definition of virulence
Noun
  • McBride, like all good satirists, cranks up the volume of those resentments and insecurities, in the process revealing a new way to see the world.
    — T. M. Brown, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Clear information gives everyone a fair chance to ask questions and prevents resentment from filling in the missing details.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of resentment
Noun
  • Edmonton may have the cap room, but its assets aren’t the envy of the league.
    — Janson Duench, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Then the orders started trickling into her store, too, and that envy was quickly replaced by confusion.
    — Francesca Mancino, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of envy

Browse Nearby Words

vengeful
vengefulness
venges
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vengefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vengefulness. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of volition

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All