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Vindictive vs Spite - What's the difference?

vindictive | spite |

In obsolete terms the difference between vindictive and spite

is that vindictive is punitive while spite is vexation; chagrin; mortification.

As an adjective vindictive

is having a tendency to seek revenge when wronged, vengeful.

As a noun 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.

vindictive

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Having a tendency to seek revenge when , vengeful.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1920 , author=D. H. Lawrence , title=Women in Love , chapter=18 citation , passage=The vindictive mockery in her voice made his brain quiver.}}
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1933 , author=H. G. Wells , title=The Shape of Things to Come citation , passage=The victors will exact vindictive penalties and the losers of course will undertake to pay, but none of them realizes that money is going to do the most extraordinary things to them when they begin upon that.}}
  • (obsolete) punitive

    • Synonyms

    * vengeful, revengeful, nasty * See also

    Derived terms

    * vindictively * vindictiveness

    Related terms

    * vindicate * vindication * vindicator

    External links

    * * *

    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

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