释义 |
vindictivevin‧dic‧tive /vɪnˈdɪktɪv/ adjective vindictiveOrigin: 1600-1700 Latin vindicta ‘revenge’, from vindicare; ➔ VINDICATE - "I'll pay her back for this.'' "Don't be so vindictive. It doesn't help anyone.''
- After the divorce Joan's ex-husband became increasingly vindictive.
- Doug could be nasty and vindictive when he was drinking.
- A conservative columnist, George Will, provides a more vindictive answer.
- Accurately, though unfairly, contemporary critics of the Futurists denounced them with the vindictive labels: photographic, cinematic.
- Depriving our police force of a cup of tea is astronomically vindictive and silly.
- He's not a vindictive person.
- He never destroyed a witch simply on the say-so of vindictive enemies.
- Humans are specialized in vindictive behavior.
- She was vindictive, vulgar; she wanted to hurt him.
- What vindictive irony, to force Digby to sacrifice his entire career in transport over a railways announcement!
deliberately cruel in order to upset someone► malicious deliberately cruel and unkind to someone because you really want to upset them and enjoy doing so: · Miss Simms took a malicious pleasure in other people's misfortunes.· Mr Jameson dismissed the allegations as malicious rumours.· Nixon's family called Stone's depiction of the late President 'erroneous and malicious'. ► spiteful deliberately nasty to someone in order to hurt or upset them, especially because you are jealous of them or are angry with them: · On the rare occasions when he was angry, Lowry could be spiteful and petty.spiteful to: · You shouldn't be so spiteful to your sister.· I tried to like Julie but I couldn't forget how spiteful she'd been to me in the past. ► spite a feeling of wanting to hurt or upset other people by saying or doing cruel things, especially if you feel jealous or think you have been unfairly treated: · Gerald's feelings of injustice turned to bitterness and spite.pure/sheer spite (=spite and nothing else): · Ignore what Martin says. It's pure spite.out of spite (=because of spite): · She quit college and worked as a waitress out of spite towards her parents. ► vindictive deliberately cruel and unfair because you want to harm someone who has harmed you: · "I'll pay her back for this.'' "Don't be so vindictive. It doesn't help anyone.''· Doug could be nasty and vindictive when he was drinking. unreasonably cruel and unfair towards someone who has harmed you: a bitter and vindictive old man—vindictively adverb—vindictiveness noun [uncountable] |