Definitions

spiteful

[spahyt-fuhl] / ˈspaɪt fəl /

ADJECTIVE

hurtful, nasty

Synonyms

STRONGEST

barbed catty cruel hateful malicious ornery snide venomous vicious vindictive

WEAK

accidentally on purpose angry cussed despiteful dirty evil ill-disposed ill-natured malevolent malign malignant mean rancorous spleenful splenetic waspish wicked

Antonyms

STRONGEST

friendly gentle good kind lovable nice pleasant sympathetic thoughtful

WEAK

affectionate forgiving helpful loving pleasing

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The pair exchanged words in the division lobbies afterwards, with a Labour source claiming that Badenoch told Phillipson: "You are spiteful, I'm never going to stop talking about how spiteful you are."

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

And you thought spiteful stepmothers wreaked havoc only in fairy tales.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

"Tourette's can feel spiteful and searches out the most upsetting tic for me personally and for those around me," he explained.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

That extra spiteful mile is unlikely to sit well with the workers who weren’t fired, since they may be next.

From Slate • Feb. 18, 2025

Then, old womanish, as if he were, though still spiteful, slightly embarrassed, he got back up onto his treasure pile, stretched out his wings, and settled.

From "Grendel" by John Gardner

Vocabulary lists containing spiteful

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

The Jungle Book

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Fever 1793

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!