vindictive

vindictive
adjective

in her memoirs she revealed that Drake had been a vindictive ex-lover

Syn:
vengeful, revengeful, unforgiving, resentful, acrimonious, bitter; spiteful, mean, rancorous, venomous, malicious, malevolent, nasty, mean-spirited, cruel, unkind; informal catty
Ant:
forgiving
••
vindictive, rancorous, spiteful, vengeful, venomous
Someone who is motivated by a desire to get even might be described as vindictive, a word that suggests harboring grudges for imagined wrongs (a vindictive person who had alienated friends and neighbors alike). Spiteful is a stronger term, implying a bitter or vicious vindictiveness (a spiteful child who broke the toy she had been forced to share). Vengeful implies a strong urge to actually seek vengeance (vengeful after losing her husband in hit-and-run accident). Someone who is rancorous suffers from a deep-seated and lasting bitterness, although it does not imply a desire to hurt or to be vindictive (his rancorous nature made him difficult to befriend). Venomous takes its meaning from "venom" referring to someone or something of a spiteful, malignant nature and suggesting a poisonous sting (a critic's venomous attack on the author's first novel).

Thesaurus of popular words. 2014.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?
Synonyms:
, , , , , , , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • vindictive — vindictive, revengeful, vengeful are close synonyms often used interchangeably to mean showing or motivated by a desire for vengeance. Distinctively vindictive tends to stress this reaction as inherent in the nature of the individual and,… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • vindictive — [vin dik′tiv] adj. [< L vindicta, revenge, vindication < vindicatus (see VINDICATE) + IVE] 1. revengeful in spirit; inclined to seek vengeance 2. said or done in revenge; characterized by vengeance [vindictive punishment] vindictively adv.… …   English World dictionary

  • Vindictive — Vin*dic tive, a. [For vindicative, confused with L. vindicta revenge, punishment, fr. vindicare to vindicate. Cf. {Vindicative}.] 1. Disposed to revenge; prompted or characterized by revenge; revengeful. [1913 Webster] I am vindictive enough to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • vindictive — I adjective angry, avenging, grudgeful, implacable, inclined to vengeance, malevolent, malicious, malignant, punitive, punitory, rancorous, resentful, retaliative, retaliatory, retributive, revengeful, spiteful, ulciscendi cupidus, unforgiving,… …   Law dictionary

  • vindictive — 1610s, from L. vindicta revenge (see VINDICATION (Cf. vindication)). Related: Vindictively …   Etymology dictionary

  • vindictive — [adj] hateful, revengeful avenging, cruel, grim, grudging, implacable, malicious, malignant, merciless, rancorous, relentless, resentful, retaliatory, ruthless, spiteful, unforgiving, unrelenting, vengeful, venomous, wreakful; concepts 401,542… …   New thesaurus

  • vindictive — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge. DERIVATIVES vindictively adverb vindictiveness noun. ORIGIN from Latin vindicta vengeance …   English terms dictionary

  • vindictive — adj. vindictive of (that was vindictive of him) * * * [vɪn dɪktɪv] vindictive of (that was vindictive of him) …   Combinatory dictionary

  • vindictive — vin|dic|tive [ vın dıktıv ] adjective someone who is vindictive is cruel to anyone who hurts them and will not forgive them: vindictive toward: Divorced couples often become quite vindictive toward each other. a. used about people s behavior: a… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • vindictive — UK [vɪnˈdɪktɪv] / US adjective a) someone who is vindictive is cruel to anyone who hurts them and will not forgive them vindictive towards: Divorced couples often become quite vindictive towards each other. b) used about people s behaviour a… …   English dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”