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Contempt vs Spite - What's the difference?

contempt | spite |

As nouns the difference between contempt and spite

is that contempt is the state of contemning; the feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, base, or worthless; scorn, disdain while spite is ill will or hatred toward another, accompanied with the disposition to irritate, annoy, or thwart; a desire to vex or injure; petty malice; grudge; rancor.

As a verb spite is

to treat maliciously; to try to injure or thwart.

As a preposition spite is

notwithstanding; despite.

contempt

Alternative forms

* (obsolete) * (obsolete)

Noun

(en noun)
  • (uncountable) The state of contemning; the feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, base, or worthless; scorn, disdain.
  • * , chapter=13
  • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. He said that if you wanted to do anything for them, you must rule them, not pamper them.}}
  • The state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace.
  • (legal) Open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority of a court of law or legislative body.
  • Synonyms

    * See

    Antonyms

    * See

    Derived terms

    * contemptible * contempt of Congress * contempt of court * contempt of Parliament * contemptuous * familiarity breeds contempt

    spite

    English

    Etymology 1

    From a shortening of (etyl) despit, from (etyl) despit (whence despite). Compare also Dutch spijt.

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • Ill will or hatred toward another, accompanied with the disposition to irritate, annoy, or thwart; a desire to vex or injure; petty malice; grudge; rancor.
  • He was so filled with spite for his ex-wife, he could not hold down a job.
    They did it just for spite .
  • * Shakespeare
  • This is the deadly spite that angers.
  • (obsolete) Vexation; chagrin; mortification.
  • "The time is out of joint: O cursed spite." Shakespeare, Hamlet

    Verb

    (spit)
  • To treat maliciously; to try to injure or thwart.
  • She soon married again, to spite her ex-husband.
  • (obsolete) To be angry at; to hate.
  • The Danes, then pagans, spited places of religion. — Fuller.
  • To fill with spite; to offend; to vex.
  • Darius, spited at the Magi, endeavoured to abolish not only their learning, but their language. — Sir. W. Temple.

    See also

    * malignant * malicious

    Etymology 2

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • Notwithstanding; despite.
  • Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * ----