What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Spite vs Maliciousness - What's the difference?

spite | maliciousness | Related terms |

Spite is a related term of maliciousness.


As nouns the difference between spite and maliciousness

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 maliciousness is the condition of being malicious; malevolence or malice.

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.

    See also

    * malignant * malicious

    Etymology 2

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • Notwithstanding; despite.
  • Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    maliciousness

    English

    Noun

  • The condition of being malicious; malevolence or malice