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
Both men have a penchant for self-dramatization, are easily insulted and vindictive, and seem absent the gene for humility.
—
Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Stalcup says that after the data was stolen, it was doctored and shared by the former employee, who was vindictive about being fired for cause.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 16 Feb. 2026
Heathcliff is surly, cruel, and vindictive.
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 12 Feb. 2026
Both Comey and James have denied wrongdoing, calling the charges a selective and vindictive prosecution at the president’s direction.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vindictive
Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Stalcup says that after the data was stolen, it was doctored and shared by the former employee, who was vindictive about being fired for cause.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 16 Feb. 2026
Heathcliff is surly, cruel, and vindictive.
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 12 Feb. 2026
Both Comey and James have denied wrongdoing, calling the charges a selective and vindictive prosecution at the president’s direction.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vindictive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vindictive
Adjective
-
That’s the cruel beauty of golf.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2026
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Few Iranians will mourn the demise of the cruel and murderous Ayatollah Khamenei or his cohorts, and a large segment of Iranians want the corrupt religious regime gone.—
Trudy Rubin,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In reality, the messages are loaded with a malicious attachment.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
11 Mar. 2026
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Jason Hughes Many who left comments on the petition emphasized that Hughes' death did not come out of a malicious act and that the teenagers will have to live with the death for the rest of their lives.—
Maya Rosenberg,
NBC news,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Genre expectations demand a certain level of peril and bloodshed, but seeing Monster register his suffering doubled at the end of Bride of Frankenstein is too poignant to only depict the Bride as violent and vengeful thereafter.—
Rory Doherty,
Time,
7 Mar. 2026
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Compare that to how Bondi prostituted the Justice Department to a vengeful president and bungled the entire Epstein matter.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Obviously, Missé is devastated that her brother was killed in such a vicious and public manner.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
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The play unfolds as a series of battles, where the unaccomplished George and the bitterly disappointed Martha exchange vicious and demeaning insults, using Nick and Honey as the unsuspecting pawns in their war for supremacy.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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DeMar DeRozan had 32, Russell Westbrook had a revengeful 22 and Malik Monk had 26 off the bench.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
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Brian Heil played Don Jose with angst and ultimately, revengeful rage as Carmen’s spurned lover.—
Marcia Luttrell,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Columnist Joe Gerth wonders what his mother, a member of a church that stands against hateful immigration policies, thinks.—
Stephanie Stremplewski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
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This has allowed this unauthorized user unfettered access to those frequencies to transmit hateful and threatening messaging, potentially disrupting vital police, fire and EMS communications.—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Handling a hostile environment Texas coach Jim Schlossnagle said his team knew what to expect from Bobcat Ballpark.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Mar. 2026
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Brasília was built from scratch, in the middle of nowhere, in the hostile climate of the Cerrado—a savanna-like biome—hundreds of miles from any highway, railway, or airport.—
Sophia La Banca,
JSTOR Daily,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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Travelers can also take additional steps by staying vigilant for petty crime, and moving throughout the city with extra awareness.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vindictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vindictive. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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