The Britannica Dictionary
mobile search
Home
Ask the Editor
Word of the Day
Quizzes
Core Vocabulary
Browse the Dictionary
×
Britannica Homepage
Ask the Editor
Word of the Day
Quizzes
Core Vocabulary
Browse the Dictionary
The Britannica Dictionary
spiteful
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
spiteful
(adjective)
spiteful
/
ˈ
spaɪtfəl/
adjective
spiteful
/
ˈ
spaɪtfəl/
adjective
Britannica Dictionary definition of SPITEFUL
[
more spiteful; most spiteful
]
:
having or showing a desire to harm, anger, or defeat someone
:
having or showing spite
She's just being
spiteful
.
a
spiteful
remark
[+] more examples
[-] hide examples
[+] Example sentences
[-] Hide examples
— spitefully
adverb
She
spitefully
refused my request.
[+] more examples
[-] hide examples
[+] Example sentences
[-] Hide examples
— spitefulness
noun
[
noncount
]
ASK THE EDITOR
In what ways is the word 'fish' used as singular and plural?
See the answer »
QUIZZES
Vocabulary Quiz
Test your word power
Take the Quiz »
Name That Thing
Take our visual quiz
Test Your Knowledge »
WORD OF THE DAY
egotist
:
a person who has the feeling or belief that they are better, more important, more talented, etc., than other people
Learn More »