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.

Spiteful vs Peevish - What's the difference?

spiteful | peevish | Related terms |

As adjectives the difference between spiteful and peevish

is that spiteful is filled with, or showing, spite; having a desire to vex, annoy, or injure; malignant; malicious while peevish is constantly complaining; fretful, whining.

spiteful

English

(Webster 1913)

Alternative forms

* spightful (obsolete) * spightfull (obsolete) * spitefull (archaic)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Filled with, or showing, spite; having a desire to vex, annoy, or injure; malignant; malicious

    • External links

    * *

    peevish

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (l), (l) (obsolete)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Constantly complaining; fretful, whining.
  • * , King Henry V , act 3, scene 7:
    • Orleans: What a wretched and peevish fellow is this king of England, to mope with his fat-brained followers so far out of his knowledge!
  • * 1813 , , Pride and Prejudice , ch. 41:
    • [T]he luckless Kitty continued in the parlour repining at her fate in terms as unreasonable as her accent was peevish .
  • * 1917 , , "The Mixer" in The Man With Two Left Feet and Other Stories :
    • At first he was quite peevish . "What's the idea," he said, "coming and spoiling a man's beauty-sleep? Get out."

    Derived terms

    * peevishly * peevishness