as in cruel
likely to seek revenge
be careful not to annoy the vindictive old woman who lives down the street
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Recent Examples of vindictive
The Greek gods are famous for their uncontrollable lust, and amusingly petty, vindictive punishments inflicted on those unfortunate enough to insult them.
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Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
Though whether that can be achieved with the participation of notoriously bitter and vindictive Hasina is a huge question.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
As the presidential candidates head into the most heated phase of the election year so far, former President Donald Trump has made a distinctive shift in tone on his Truth Social profile, lashing out in increasingly vulgar, misogynistic and vindictive posts.
—Ben Kamisar, NBC News, 30 Aug. 2024
In Vice Principals, that came in the form of Lee Russell, the effeminate, vindictive co-vice of a middle school who is best friend and arch nemesis to McBride’s Neal Gamby.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for vindictive 
Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
Though whether that can be achieved with the participation of notoriously bitter and vindictive Hasina is a huge question.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
As the presidential candidates head into the most heated phase of the election year so far, former President Donald Trump has made a distinctive shift in tone on his Truth Social profile, lashing out in increasingly vulgar, misogynistic and vindictive posts.
—Ben Kamisar, NBC News, 30 Aug. 2024
In Vice Principals, that came in the form of Lee Russell, the effeminate, vindictive co-vice of a middle school who is best friend and arch nemesis to McBride’s Neal Gamby.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for vindictive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vindictive
Adjective
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By the time Lovely Runner’s series finale dropped in late May, millions of K-drama fans around the world had become invested in the story of Sol and Sun-jae, desperate to find out if their love could withstand the cruel vagaries of fate.Kayti Burt, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024
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Some Rochester residents disagree and find their city’s methods excessively cruel to the birds.Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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In sum, there are established means for a targeted individual to seek their own retribution against malicious acts by a government official who is without legal merit out to seek retribution.Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Directed by Barry Jenkins and featuring songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the film traces how Mufasa came to be king of the Pride Lands, and why Scar ended up so bitter and vengeful toward his older brother.Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2024
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During the 10-course meal, vengeful, egomaniacal chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) terrorizes his elite guests with a series of ever-more macabre—and ultimately murderous—theatrics.Lauren Sanchez, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But the blaze was the latest manifestation of a vicious cycle in which flammable invasive grasses are choking out fire-resistant vegetation in the Santa Monica Mountains.Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
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The vicious gang has taken advantage of a lax southern border under the Biden-Harris administration, with many of its foot soldiers swarming the U.S. and unleashing hell on unsuspecting communities.Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Eventually, this revengeful streak will result in loneliness and isolation.Nicole Froio, refinery29.com, 29 Oct. 2024
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Artemis was revengeful toward anyone who trespassed in wild nature, and trespassing could mean neglect, like not paying your dues.Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 20 June 2023
Adjective
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Each forfeiture announcement unleashed appalling, hateful messages individuals chose to send directly to our student-athletes, our coaching staff and many associated with our program.Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 20 Dec. 2024
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Its members have faced hateful comments, unfair criticism and privacy breaches that have threatened their mental health.Gabriel Saulog, Billboard, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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According to the complaint, several parties had to partake in an all-hands-on-deck meeting to address Lively’s claims of a hostile work environment.Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Dec. 2024
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Both sides are trying to innovate better ways to spoof, jam, and disrupt enemy communications, particularly drones, while simultaneously working to harden their own systems against hostile signals.Justin Ling, WIRED, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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My understanding has always been that the relic trade is loosely tolerated by the powers that be (many of whom have some pretty choice relics of their own), because one of the sneakiest ways authoritarian societies thrive is by letting their subjects get away with petty rebellions.Noel Murray, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
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As our profile lays out, the record reveals Billy Wagner as a blustery, bigger-than-life figure who engaged in petty crime and coached his family to do the same.Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near vindictive
Cite this Entry
“Vindictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vindictive. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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