spite
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spite¹
- /spaɪt/
Rhymes with -aɪt
Where it comes from
From Middle English spit, a shortening of despit (whence despite), from Old French despit, from Latin dēspectum (“looking down on”), from Latin dēspiciō (“to look down, despise”). Compare also North Frisian spīt, spīd (“regret”), Saterland Frisian Spiet (“regret, remorse”), West Frisian spyt (“regret”), Dutch spijt (“regret, remorse”), German Low German Spiet (“anger, regret, remorse”), German Spiet (“annoyance, vexation”), Swedish spit (“insult, outrage, annoyance”), Norwegian spit (“insult, outrage, annoyance”).
noun spites · spight
- Ill will or hatred toward another, accompanied with the desire to unjustifiably irritate, annoy, or thwart; a want to disturb or put out another; mild malice. He was so filled with spite for his ex-wife, his brother was afraid of what he might do.
- Vexation; chagrin; mortification. "The time is out of joint: O cursed spite."
verb spites · spiting · spited · spight
- To treat maliciously; to try to hurt or thwart. She soon married again, to spite her ex-husband.
-
To be angry at; to hate.
The Danes, then […] pagans, principally spited places of religion.
Similar: abhor, detest, loathe, abominate, can't stand, can't stand the sight of, despise, disrelish, execrate, hate, resent, spite
-
To fill with spite; to offend; to vex.
But the laſt and fatal Blow, given to that antient Learning, was in the time of Darius, Father of Xerxes, who with the reſt of the Perſians, ſpighted at the Magi, upon the Uſurpation of the Crown by one of their Number, (that counterfeited a younger Son of Cyrus after the Death of Cambyſes,) when he
Similar: affront, insult, misbid, abuse, burn, carry, cut down, disrespect, dis, diss, give stick, heckle
spite²
- /spaɪt/
Rhymes with -aɪt
preposition spight
- Notwithstanding; despite.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: spitefulness, maliciousness, malice, offend, nastiness, hurt, cattiness, injure, bitchiness, wound, venom, contempt, despite, hatred, grudge, wickedness
Translations
Every language
noun ill-will or hatred toward another; a desire to vex or injure
| Español | despecho, ojeriza, saña |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 赌气 dǔ qì |
| हिन्दी | कीना kīnā, खुनस khunas, चिढ़ ciṛh, द्वेष dveṣ, कुनह kunah, जलापा jalāpā |
| Português | desprezo, rancor |
| Français | dépit, rancune |
| Deutsch | Boshaftigkeit, Gehässigkeit |
| Italiano | rancore, malevolenza, ripicca |
| Română | ciudă, răutate, ranchiună |
| Русский | недоброжелательность nedobroželatelʹnostʹ, враждебность vraždebnostʹ, злость zlostʹ |
| العربية | حِقْد ḥiqd, ضَغِينَة ḍaḡīna |
noun vexation, chagrin, mortification
| Français | dépit |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Ärgernis |
| Italiano | dispetto |
| Română | supărare, dispreț, vexațiune |
verb to treat maliciously
| Português | provocar |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | ärgern, es heimzahlen, misshandeln |
| Italiano | vessare |
| Română | face în ciudă |
| Русский | насолить nasolitʹ |
verb to be angry at; to hate
| Português | desprezar |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | hassen |
| Română | urî |
| Русский | ненавидеть nenavidetʹ |
Talk about this word "spite." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/spite. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. spite. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/spite "spite." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/spite.Cite this
@misc{spite_2026,
title = {spite},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/spite},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
