1
: petty ill will or hatred with the disposition to irritate, annoy, or thwart
2
: an instance of spite
spited; spiting
2
: to treat maliciously (as by shaming or thwarting)
Synonyms
Examples of spite in a Sentence
Noun
He is jealous and full of spite.
spread cruel lies out of pure spite
Verb
He only did it to spite me.
sometimes, I swear, she keeps doing that just to spite me
Recent Examples on the Web
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025
While not taking on any particular political structure, the pre-taped bit perfectly attacks the racial prejudice society was still beholden to (and some might say still is) in spite of the 20 years that had passed since the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2025
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
Understand the consequences of what this means because for America to not accept immigrants is the definition of cutting off your nose to spite your face.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for spite 
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Noun
In his short time since arriving, Sands had helped his team remain tough to beat, in spite of a debilitating injury list, while also allowing the intricacy of the attacking football to improve.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025
While not taking on any particular political structure, the pre-taped bit perfectly attacks the racial prejudice society was still beholden to (and some might say still is) in spite of the 20 years that had passed since the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2025
Verb
This symbiotic relationship also means that Canadian aerospace and defense companies employ a significant number of people in the U.S.
Imposing tariffs on Canada would be like cutting off our nose to spite our face.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
Understand the consequences of what this means because for America to not accept immigrants is the definition of cutting off your nose to spite your face.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for spite
Dictionary Entries Near spite
Cite this Entry
“Spite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spite. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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