VINDICTIVE DEFINITIONS - 10 definitions found
vindictive adj 1: disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge; "more vindictive than jealous love"- Shakespeare; "punishments...essentially vindictive in their nature"- M.R.Cohen [syn: revengeful, vindictive, vengeful] 2: showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite; "a despiteful fiend"; "a truly spiteful child"; "a vindictive man will look for occasions for resentment" [syn: despiteful, spiteful, vindictive] vindictive - sivnor Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (2003) vindictive adjective Etymology: Latin vindicta revenge, vindication, from vindicare Date: 15th century 1. a. disposed to seek revenge ; vengeful b. intended for or involving revenge 2. intended to cause anguish or hurt ; spiteful • vindictively adverb • vindictiveness noun Oxford English Reference Dictionary
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner\'s English Dictionary vindictive If you say that someone is vindictive, you are critical of them because they deliberately try to upset or cause trouble for someone who they think has done them harm. ...a vindictive woman desperate for revenge against the man who loved and left her. ADJ [disapproval] • vindictiveness ...a dishonest person who is operating completely out of vindictiveness. N-UNCOUNT English Explanatory Dictionary vindictive vɪnˈdɪktɪv adj. 1 tending to seek revenge. 2 spiteful. øvindictive damages Law damages exceeding simple compensation and awarded to punish the defendant. øøvindictively adv. vindictiveness n. [L vindicta vengeance (as VINDICATE)] Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) Vindictive \Vin*dic"tive\, a. [For vindicative, confused with L. vindicta revenge, punishment, fr. vindicare to vindicate. Cf. Vindicative.] 1. Disposed to revenge; prompted or characterized by revenge; revengeful. I am vindictive enough to repel force by force. --Dryden. 2. Punitive. [Obs.] Vindictive damages. (Law) See under Damage, n. -- Vin*dic"tive*ly, adv. -- Vin*dic"tive*ness, n. Soule\'s Dictionary of English Synonyms vindictive a. Revengeful, unforgiving, unrelenting, implacable, vengeful, rancorous, malevolent, malicious, malignant, spiteful. English Explanatory Dictionary (Synonyms) vindictive vɪnˈdɪktɪv adj. avenging, vengeful, vindicatory, revengeful, retaliatory, spiteful, unforgiving, splenetic, resentful, rancorous, implacable: She later turned vindictive, attacking everyone for real or imagined slights. |
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