Spite
/spaɪt/
nounverbB2
Definition
Spite means a strong feeling of wanting to hurt or upset someone, usually because you are angry or dislike them. When you do something "out of spite," you do it to annoy or harm another person, even if it might also cause problems for yourself.
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See It in Action
A feeling of wanting to hurt or annoy someone
- •He said it out of spite because he was angry.
- •She refused to help him just to show spite.
- •Sometimes people act in spite when they feel jealous.
To do something to annoy or harm someone on purpose
- •He spited his brother by hiding his favorite book.
- •She spited her coworkers by not sharing important information.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "spite" like "anger," but instead of just feeling it, you act to bother someone on purpose
- ✓Picture a small child who refuses to share a toy just to make another child sad
- ✓It's the feeling when someone does something mean because they want to get back at another person
- ✓Sounds like "spite" → imagine a sharp little spike that pokes someone to annoy them
- ✓In stories, villains often act out of spite to hurt heroes because they feel angry or jealous
- ✓NOT like "accident" (happens without meaning), spite is always done with intention to annoy or hurt
- ✓NOT like "revenge" (which is a bigger, often planned return of harm), spite can be small and quick actions
- ✓NOT like "kindness" (helping others), spite is the opposite — wanting to cause trouble or pain
Try Other Words
- •Malice: desire to harm or see others suffer (Use when the harm is more serious or cruel)
- •Resentment: feeling of bitterness or anger (Use when focusing on the feeling, not action)
- •Annoyance: mild feeling of irritation (Use when the intention is less serious or harmful)
Unboxing
- •Root word: spite — no prefix or suffix
- •Etymology: From Old French "despit," meaning contempt or scorn, from Latin "despectus" meaning "a looking down on" or disdain
- •Historical development: Originally meant contempt or dislike, now also used for intentional harmful actions
- •Modern usage: Used both as a noun for the feeling and a verb for acting to annoy or hurt someone purposely
Reflect & Connect
•Can acting out of spite ever help solve a problem, or does it always make things worse?
•How do you think people can avoid acting out of spite when they feel angry or hurt?
Fill in the blanks
1.She ignored his advice out of spite because she wanted to ___ him.
2.When someone acts with spite, they usually want to ___ or annoy another person.
3.Spite is different from anger because spite often leads to ___ actions.
4.He spited his friend by ___ the secret they told him.
5.People sometimes do things out of spite even if it ___ themselves too.
6.Unlike kindness, spite is about wanting to cause ___ or trouble.
7.When you feel spite, you might ___ someone on purpose to hurt their feelings.