Adjacent Words

Vindictive definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

VINDIC'TIVE, a. Revengeful; given to revenge.
I am vindictive enough to repel force by force.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

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]

Merriam Webster's

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 Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 tending to seek revenge. 2 spiteful. Phrases and idioms: vindictive damages Law damages exceeding simple compensation and awarded to punish the defendant. Derivatives: vindictively adv. vindictiveness n. Etymology: L vindicta vengeance (as VINDICATE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

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.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Revengeful, unforgiving, unrelenting, implacable, vengeful, rancorous, malevolent, malicious, malignant, spiteful.