adjective

spiteful

SPYT-fuul

Spiteful (adjective) means Full of spite; deliberately unkind or vindictive. Example: “She made a spiteful comment about his new haircut.”

adjective

Full of spite; deliberately unkind or vindictive.

"She made a spiteful comment about his new haircut."

"He's not usually spiteful, but the divorce brought out his worst side."

How to use spiteful

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishActing or speaking out of a petty desire to hurt someone.

Common pairings

spiteful remark spiteful behavior a spiteful person

more spiteful comparative, spitefuller comparative, most spiteful superlative, spitefullest superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

She made a _____ comment about his new haircut.

From spite plus the adjective-forming suffix -ful.

useful woeful eyeful careful hopeful hateful fateful grateful forceful graceful wasteful vengeful

What does “spiteful” mean?

The word “spiteful” means full of spite; deliberately unkind or vindictive. In plain terms, acting or speaking out of a petty desire to hurt someone.

How do you pronounce “spiteful”?

“Spiteful” is pronounced SPYT-fuul (/ˈspaɪtfʊl/ in IPA).

How do you use “spiteful” in a sentence?

Here is “spiteful” used in a sentence: “She made a spiteful comment about his new haircut.”

What part of speech is “spiteful”?

“Spiteful” is an adjective.