Library / English Dictionary

SPITE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Malevolence by virtue of being malicious or spiteful or nasty

Synonyms:

bitchiness; cattiness; nastiness; spite; spitefulness

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("spite" is a kind of...):

malevolence; malevolency; malice (the quality of threatening evil)

Derivation:

spite (hurt the feelings of)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Feeling a need to see others suffer

Synonyms:

malice; maliciousness; spite; spitefulness; venom

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Hypernyms ("spite" is a kind of...):

malevolence; malignity (wishing evil to others)

Derivation:

spite (hurt the feelings of)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Hurt the feelings of

Example:

This remark really bruised my ego

Synonyms:

bruise; hurt; injure; offend; spite; wound

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "spite" is one way to...):

arouse; elicit; enkindle; evoke; fire; kindle; provoke; raise (call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "spite"):

affront; diss; insult (treat, mention, or speak to rudely)

lacerate (deeply hurt the feelings of; distress)

sting (cause an emotional pain, as if by stinging)

abase; chagrin; humble; humiliate; mortify (cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot spite Sue

Derivation:

spite (malevolence by virtue of being malicious or spiteful or nasty)

spite (feeling a need to see others suffer)

Credits

 Context examples: 

From what I hear, in spite of all his wealth and his title, he very nearly came our way once or twice.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

She contemplated it, however, in spite of this drawback, with much emotion, and, but for a yet stronger interest, would have left it unwillingly.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

In spite of what her sister declared, and really believed to be her feelings in the expectation of his arrival, Elizabeth could easily perceive that her spirits were affected by it.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

And as he was cold, he lighted himself a fire, but at midnight the wind blew so sharply that in spite of his fire, he could not get warm.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

In spite of the tragedy, some people just feel happy to be alive.

(Coping with Disasters, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Once out upon the road, Black Dog, in spite of his wound, showed a wonderful clean pair of heels and disappeared over the edge of the hill in half a minute.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Lady Russell, in spite of all her former transgressions, he could now value from his heart.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

So spake reason; but, in spite of all, her voice was ever in his ears and her image in his heart.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

By ten o’clock, when the shops were closed, the by-street was very solitary and, in spite of the low growl of London from all round, very silent.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

And yet, in spite of what you have seen, Charles, I am as innocent in the matter as you are.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)