Spiteful
/ˈspaɪt.fəl/noun
Full of spite; showing malice or ill will.
Did you know?The core noun spite entered English in the Middle English period with the sense of contempt or malice, and the adjective spiteful later built on it to describe that same hostile energy in a person.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sp(h)ei-
“to sharpen, to spit, to fasten; a root associated with sharpness and striking action”
Latin
Latin
despicere
“to look down on, despise”
Old French
Old French
despit
“contempt, anger, vexation”
Middle English
English
spite
“contempt, malice, resentment”
Late Middle English
English
spiteful
“full of spite; malicious”