vindictive
It is no fun hanging out with vindictive people, who are forever out to get back at people they think have hurt them. If you forget to say hello to them one day in the hall, they will carry a grudge against you into next week.
Vindictive is often paired with mean, as in "the atmosphere of the cheerleading squad at my new school was vindictive and mean and I wanted nothing to do with it." Vindictive rumors show a spirit full of revenge. Vindictive is from Latin vindicta "revenge." The related Latin verb vindicare has the very different meaning "to defend or clear someone from guilt," and this is the source of the English verb vindicate.
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disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge“"more vindictive than jealous love"- Shakespeare”“"punishments...essentially vindictive in their nature"- M.R.Cohen”synonyms: revengeful, vengefulunforgivingunwilling or unable to forgive or show mercy
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showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite“a vindictive man will look for occasions for resentment”synonyms: despiteful, malignant, spitefulmalicioushaving the nature of or resulting from malice
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Vocabulary lists containing vindictive
This scathing dramatization of the Salem Witch Trials is also an allegory of Senator Joseph McCarthy's pursuit of Communists in the 1950s.
Practice this list of English words derived from the Latin roots dic and dict, which mean "say" or "declare."
Learn these essential words that you'll encounter in literature, textbooks, class discussions, and more.