as in cruel
likely to seek revenge
be careful not to annoy the vindictive old woman who lives down the street
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of vindictive
But truth be told, Los Angeles isn’t the biggest California prize for a vindictive president obsessed with punishing his internal political foes.
—
Max Taves, Mercury News, 11 June 2025
Two erratic, vindictive, spotlight-hungry billionaires convinced of their own greatness occupying the White House together?
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025
What People Are Saying Jennifer Levi, a senior director at GLAD Law, an LGBTQ legal advocacy group, told Reuters: The directives coming out are vindictive and aggressive.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Paying clients knew how vindictive Trump could be and didn’t want to antagonize him, even if no one imagined that a tactic quite as effective as the executive orders would soon be deployed.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vindictive
Max Taves, Mercury News, 11 June 2025
Two erratic, vindictive, spotlight-hungry billionaires convinced of their own greatness occupying the White House together?
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025
What People Are Saying Jennifer Levi, a senior director at GLAD Law, an LGBTQ legal advocacy group, told Reuters: The directives coming out are vindictive and aggressive.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Paying clients knew how vindictive Trump could be and didn’t want to antagonize him, even if no one imagined that a tactic quite as effective as the executive orders would soon be deployed.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vindictive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vindictive
Adjective
-
Each of us should demand our local leaders challenge every one of the immoral and cruel state laws and the Gestapo-like raids and inhumane detainments carried out by ICE agents.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 July 2025
-
Even critics who considered his policies cruel and racist – and there were many – admitted that behind the bluster there was the charm of a true believer.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
Attacks are now surging across the U.S., targeting citizens with malicious texts, emails and popups.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
-
Habba was sued by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka for false arrest, malicious prosecution and defamation after his arrest during a protest an immigration detention center in Newark on May 9.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
Reacting to the news of another vengeful massacre in Southport, North Carolina, Karla receives a menacing knock at the door.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
19 July 2025
-
Twenty-eight years after the 1997 slasher, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. return as Julie James and Ray Bronson, the two survivors of the vengeful fisherman killer.—
Benjamin VanHoose,
People.com,
18 July 2025
Adjective
-
Over time, this can create a vicious cycle where poor sleep and chronic anxiety feed into each other, creating a loop that damages your well-being.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
-
There was a scary moment later in the third quarter when Charlotte’s James Banks III hit Sacramento’s Dylan Cardwell with a vicious elbow to the face.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
Fans hoping for a revengeful scoring outburst were left wanting a little more, however, as Dončić — a career 28.6 points per game scorer — added only 10 points over the final three quarters.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC News,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Eventually, this revengeful streak will result in loneliness and isolation.—
Nicole Froio,
refinery29.com,
29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
His otherwise incomparable legacy will forever be stained by his hateful remarks about Black people.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
-
Late in the episode, Cartman calls off his suicide attempt after Butters helps convince him that there’s always hope for a return to the world where Cartman’s hateful trollery will again be a minority voice pushing back against the mainstream.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
24 July 2025
Adjective
-
Five days later, on July 8, an attorney for the city manager submitted a letter of potential claim against the city citing defamation, harassment and creation of a hostile work environment.—
Anita Edmondson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 July 2025
-
In early October 2022, the ruling said, McCarty filed a hostile work environment complaint with the police department.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
The Moon is opposite Mercury in your sign, and this can trigger petty squabbles.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
12 July 2025
-
We can’t be consumed by our petty differences anymore.—
Rob Day,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vindictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vindictive. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share