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Spite vs Ire - What's the difference?

spite | ire |

As nouns the difference between spite and ire

is that 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 while ire is .

As a verb spite

is to treat maliciously; to try to injure or thwart.

As a preposition spite

is notwithstanding; despite.

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.
    Related terms
    * spiteful * in spite of * despite

    See also

    * malignant * malicious

    Etymology 2

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • Notwithstanding; despite.

    • Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    ire

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) ire, yre, shortened form of . More at (l).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Iron.
    • The cruel ire , red as any gleed. — Chaucer.

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) ire, from (etyl) , (etyl) aesma'' 'anger', (etyl) ''e?ati 'it drives on').

    Noun

    (-)
  • (literary, poetic) Great anger; wrath; keen resentment.
    • Synonyms
    * fury * rage * wrath
    Related terms
    * irascibility * irascible * irate * ireful

    Verb

    (ir)
  • To anger; to fret; to irritate.

    • References

    * *

    Anagrams

    * ----