as in cruel
likely to seek revenge
be careful not to annoy the vindictive old woman who lives down the street
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Recent Examples of vindictive
Crenshaw wrote that the government now bears the burden of rebutting the presumption of vindictive prosecution.
—
Evan Mealins, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Oct. 2025
Even its most mean-spirited plotline, in which a married couple assemble a fake theater production to humiliate their ex-neighbor whose noisiness prompted them to move, is presented as more of a gentle exercise in silliness than anything truly vindictive.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 3 Oct. 2025
This week, Luke Combs is feeling wistful, Leon Thomas is feeling vindictive, and of course, the most anticipated pop release of the entire year is finally upon us.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2025
One move would be for Comey’s lawyers to try to have the charges thrown out on the grounds of vindictive or selective prosecution, basically arguing that Comey was targeted for impermissible reasons.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vindictive
Evan Mealins, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Oct. 2025
Even its most mean-spirited plotline, in which a married couple assemble a fake theater production to humiliate their ex-neighbor whose noisiness prompted them to move, is presented as more of a gentle exercise in silliness than anything truly vindictive.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 3 Oct. 2025
This week, Luke Combs is feeling wistful, Leon Thomas is feeling vindictive, and of course, the most anticipated pop release of the entire year is finally upon us.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2025
One move would be for Comey’s lawyers to try to have the charges thrown out on the grounds of vindictive or selective prosecution, basically arguing that Comey was targeted for impermissible reasons.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vindictive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vindictive
Adjective
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In Pahani’s 2006 award-winning comedy Offside, about the cruel cultural chains binding Iranian women, a group of young women attempt to gain entry to a stadium to watch a World Cup qualifying match between Iran and Japan.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
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There is no reason to be cruel to people.—
Sigal Ratner-Arias,
Billboard,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Police believe the act was done with malicious intent.—
Wren Smetana,
AZCentral.com,
26 Oct. 2025
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Annabella Sciorra portrayed Claire Bartel, the wife whose family life is disrupted by a vengeful nanny.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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Pitting vengeful ghosts against a backdrop of a supernatural love story, the film charmingly plays with genre to question how history and myth can probe collective and socio-political grief.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This creates a vicious cycle where shame is a currency, and the only person who actually pays a price is the one who is mocked.—
Eli Thompson,
Rolling Stone,
25 Oct. 2025
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After their parents got the police involved, the case remained unsolved for months until the FBI uncovered the shocking truth of who was behind the vicious messages after all.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Fans hoping for a revengeful scoring outburst were left wanting a little more, however, as Dončić — a career 28.6 points per game scorer — added only 10 points over the final three quarters.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC News,
26 Feb. 2025
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Eventually, this revengeful streak will result in loneliness and isolation.—
Nicole Froio,
refinery29.com,
29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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According to research from Copyleaks, an AI analysis firm that helps businesses and institutions navigate the shifting landscape of this emergent technology, a new trend has produced Sora videos of celebrities appearing to spew hateful racist epithets.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
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Other fits have been hateful, veering into racist and antisemitic diatribes.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The mob of rioters grew more hostile and violent, advancing toward agents and began throwing rocks and other objects at agents, including one that struck Chief Greg Bovino in the head.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Afghan refugees like him await their asylum decisions in an increasingly hostile climate marked by ICE raids and deportations.—
Vidushi Mishti Sharma,
Rolling Stone,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Any petty rivalries were put aside, and in the true sense of the actor’s code, offers came to help each other read over the piece.—
Jay Glennie,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
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Filmmaking is blind instinct, petty calculations, smooth generalship, daydreaming, pig-headedness, grace, bluff, risk.—
Susan Sontag,
Vogue,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vindictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vindictive. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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