spite

/spaɪt/

/spaɪt/

Other forms: spites; spited; spiting

When your sister told you that you looked terrible in your new tube top, she may have been saying it out of spite, or in a deliberately mean or offensive way.

The noun spite means "a desire to offend." The word spite can also take the form of a verb, when it's used like this: "He only became a vegetarian to spite his cattle rancher father." Either way, spite implies a grudge, a desire to offend or hurt the feelings of someone by actions or words.

Definitions of spite

1. noun

   malevolence by virtue of being malicious or spiteful or nasty
   synonyms: bitchiness, cattiness, nastiness, spitefulness

   type of:

   malevolence, malevolency, malice

   the quality of threatening evil
2. noun

   feeling a need to see others suffer
   synonyms: malice, maliciousness, spitefulness, venom

   type of:

   malevolence, malignity

   wishing evil to others
3. verb

   hurt the feelings of
   synonyms: bruise, hurt, injure, offend, wound

   types:

   affront, diss, insult

   treat, mention, or speak to rudely

   lacerate

   deeply hurt the feelings of; distress

   sting

   cause an emotional pain, as if by stinging

   abase, chagrin, humble, humiliate, mortify

   cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of

   crush, demolish, smash

   humiliate or depress completely

   degrade, demean, disgrace, put down, take down

   reduce in worth or character, usually verbally

   type of:

   arouse, elicit, enkindle, evoke, fire, kindle, pique, provoke, raise

   call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)