spiteful

spiteful
spitefully, adv.spitefulness, n.
/spuyt"feuhl/, adj.
full of spite or malice; showing spite; malicious; malevolent; venomous: a spiteful child.
[1400-50; late ME; see SPITE, -FUL]
Syn. vengeful, mean, cruel, rancorous. SPITEFUL, REVENGEFUL, VINDICTIVE refer to a desire to inflict a wrong or injury on someone, usually in return for one received. SPITEFUL implies a mean or malicious desire for (often petty) revenge: a spiteful attitude toward a former friend. REVENGEFUL implies a deep, powerful, and continued intent to repay a wrong: a fierce and revengeful spirit. VINDICTIVE does not imply action necessarily, but stresses the unforgiving nature of the avenger: a vindictive look.
Ant. benevolent.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Spiteful — Spite ful, a. Filled with, or showing, spite; having a desire to vex, annoy, or injure; malignant; malicious; as, a spiteful person or act. Shak. {Spite ful*ly}, adv. {Spite ful*ness}, n. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • spiteful — I adjective acrimonious, antagonistic, antipathetic, belligerent, caustic, contrary, despiteful, envenomed, evil minded, froward, harsh, hateful, hostile, ill disposed, ill intentioned, ill natured, inimical, invidious, lividus, malevolent,… …   Law dictionary

  • spiteful — mid 15c., from SPITE (Cf. spite) + FUL (Cf. ful). Related: Spitefully; spitefulness …   Etymology dictionary

  • spiteful — *malignant, *malicious, malevolent, malign Analogous words: rancorous, antipathetic, antagonistic, hostile (see corresponding nouns at ENMITY): *vindictive, revengeful, vengeful …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • spiteful — [adj] hurtful, nasty accidentally on purpose*, angry, barbed, catty*, cruel, cussed*, despiteful, dirty, evil, hateful, ill disposed, illnatured, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, mean, ornery*, rancorous, snide, spleenful, splenetic,… …   New thesaurus

  • spiteful — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ showing or caused by malice. DERIVATIVES spitefully adverb spitefulness noun …   English terms dictionary

  • spiteful — [spīt′fəl] adj. full of or showing spite; purposefully annoying; malicious SYN. VINDICTIVE spitefully adv. spitefulness n …   English World dictionary

  • Spiteful — Supermarine Spiteful Supermarine Spiteful …   Wikipédia en Français

  • spiteful — adj. spiteful to + inf. (it was spiteful of him to say that) * * * [ spaɪtf(ə)l] spiteful to + inf. (it was spiteful of him to say that) …   Combinatory dictionary

  • spiteful — [[t]spa͟ɪtfʊl[/t]] ADJ GRADED Someone who is spiteful does cruel things to hurt people they dislike. He could be spiteful. ...a stream of spiteful telephone calls. Syn: malicious Derived words: spitefully ADV GRADED ADV with v We crept into our… …   English dictionary

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