vindictive

adjective

vin-ˈdik-tiv How to pronounce vindictive (audio)
Definition of vindictivenext
as in cruel
likely to seek revenge be careful not to annoy the vindictive old woman who lives down the street

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 vindictive For the crime of vindictive, self-satisfying violence in the name of protecting her family, the narrative gods of Lioness will take it all away from Joe, from a mission accomplished to a family life secured. — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026 Family blames cousin’s conviction on a vindictive ex, but the letter writer’s history with him suggests a different story. — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2026 Instead, the former football receiver claimed that the suspension was the result of vindictive parents with complaints about their kids’ playing time. — Molly Hensley-Clancy, ProPublica, 20 Aug. 2026 The filing was one of several Tuesday in response to a filing by Comey's lawyers seeking to dismiss the indictment against him on the grounds of vindictive and selective prosecution. — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vindictive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vindictive
  1. cruel
  2. malicious
  3. vengeful
  4. vicious
  5. revengeful
  6. hateful
  7. hostile
  8. petty
Adjective
  • Newsom and other opponents of capital punishment have long argued that the process is costly, cruel and discriminatory, with death sentences disproportionately handed down to defendants of color.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • In a cruel twist of fate, the back half of the trailer shows Geoff being affected by severe confusion, sitting outside his house in the cold.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • Authorities have described the more than two dozen threats as malicious hoaxes, and no actual attacks have been carried out.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Iran has been linked to at least one incident in Israel earlier in the spring, though that breach involved a lot more sophistication and malicious activity.
    — Jenna McLaughlin, NPR, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of malicious
Adjective
  • The story pits the prince against the vengeful king and ends with Ravana’s abduction of Sita, stopping short of the war between them.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The film features a vengeful governess (Carey Mulligan), a Bandit King (Mahershala Ali), and an entire kingdom of talking animals (Tom Waits may or may not voice a coyote soldier).
    — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of vengeful
Adjective
  • For the moment, Trump’s vicious bigotry has alienated most independent voters and even some Republicans.
    — David Yassky, New York Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Outside observers described his vicious consolidation of power as an attempt to compensate for his youth, his limited political experience, and his complete lack of a military background.
    — Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of revengeful
Adjective
  • HinduPACT urged Hindus to remain vigilant and report any suspicious or hateful activity to local law enforcement.
    — Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Voters vehemently rebuked, with some important exceptions, Trump’s hateful policymaking, with Democrats taking both the house and the senate.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of hateful
Adjective
  • The Navy's Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen, known as SWCCs, are elite maritime operators training to operate high-speed, heavily armed boats that transport Navy SEALs into and out of hostile territory, along with other maritime missions.
    — James LaPorta, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Even as crime drops and car crashes recede, New York’s streets and parks have grown increasingly hostile to those who are frail, slow, disabled, or small.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of hostile
Adjective
  • Morrow is a 45-year-old woman convicted of misdemeanor assault and three petty offenses for blocking a Department of Homeland Security building and touching an agent’s shoulder in south Charlotte last November.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2026
  • More recently, Newsom has resisted calls to fund Proposition 36, a ballot measure that levies harsher penalties for petty crime that voters overwhelmingly approved in 2024.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of petty

Browse Nearby Words

vindicators
vindictive
vindictively
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Cite this Entry

“Vindictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vindictive. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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