spite
B2Formal and informal; common in both spoken and written English, particularly in narratives and descriptions of conflict.
Definition
Meaning
A desire to hurt, annoy, or offend someone; malicious ill will.
Can refer to actions performed primarily to cause annoyance or to demonstrate contempt, regardless of personal benefit. Often implies a petty, resentful, or vindictive motivation.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a noun denoting a motivating emotion. The verb 'to spite' means to deliberately annoy or hurt someone. Closely related to 'spiteful' (adjective). Often carries a connotation of pettiness or meanness of spirit rather than grand malice.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. The phrase 'in spite of' is universally standard. British English may marginally favour 'spite' in more formal written contexts of personal animosity.
Connotations
Similar in both variants. Suggests a mean-spirited, often personal motivation.
Frequency
Comparably frequent. The noun is core vocabulary; the verb is less common.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
He did it out of spite [for her].She was filled with spite [towards her rival].To spite his parents, he dropped out of university.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “cut off your nose to spite your face”
- “in spite of (something)”
- “full of spite and vinegar (archaic)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare in positive contexts. Used to describe unprofessional, personal motivations behind decisions: 'The lawsuit seemed driven more by spite than by a legitimate grievance.'
Academic
Used in psychology, sociology, and literature to analyse character motivation and social conflict.
Everyday
Common in descriptions of arguments, rivalries, and petty behaviour: 'He cancelled the party just to spite me.'
Technical
Not a technical term. May appear in legal contexts describing motive (e.g., 'spite fence').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He voted against the proposal just to spite his colleague.
- She spitefully informed the boss about his mistake.
American English
- He trashed the project to spite his ex-partner.
- They built a high fence purely to spite the neighbours.
adverb
British English
- He said it spitefully, knowing it would hurt. (Note: 'spitefully' is the adverb)
- She smiled spitefully as her rival stumbled.
American English
- He spitefully revealed the secret. (Note: 'spitefully' is the adverb)
- The comment was delivered spitefully.
adjective
British English
- He made a spiteful remark about her appearance. (Note: 'spiteful' is the adjective)
- It was a spiteful act of vandalism.
American English
- Her review was surprisingly spiteful. (Note: 'spiteful' is the adjective)
- He has a spiteful streak when challenged.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- She felt a lot of spite after the argument.
- In spite of the cold, we played outside.
- He broke the toy out of sheer spite.
- They succeeded in spite of many difficulties.
- Her criticism was laced with subtle spite.
- The decision seemed motivated more by personal spite than sound policy.
- The polemic was a masterpiece of elegant, scholarly spite.
- He nursed a quiet, corrosive spite for years, which eventually poisoned all his relationships.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a SPIDER (sounds like 'spi...') that bites out of pure meanness, not hunger. That's SPITE.
Conceptual Metaphor
SPITE IS A POISON / A FIRE. It can 'burn' inside someone, and they can be 'filled with' or 'consumed by' it. Actions can be 'poisoned' by spite.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'spit' (плевать). 'Spite' — это 'злоба', 'озлобленность'. Фраза 'in spite of' означает 'несмотря на' и никак не связана со злобой в этом контексте.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'spite' as a conjunction (Wrong: 'Spite the rain, we went out.' Correct: 'In spite of the rain...' or 'Despite the rain...').
- Confusing 'spite' (n.) with 'spite' (v.) in structure: 'He did it to spite her' (correct verb use).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best captures the core meaning of 'spite' as a noun?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A 'grudge' is a persistent feeling of ill will, often over a past wrong. 'Spite' is the malicious feeling or desire to hurt that can motivate an action. You can 'hold a grudge' and then 'act out of spite'.
Yes, they are synonymous prepositions meaning 'without being affected by'. 'Despite' is slightly more formal. 'In spite of' is always three words.
Almost never. By definition, it involves malicious intent. However, the phrase 'in spite of' is neutral, describing overcoming an obstacle.
Using 'spite' alone to mean 'despite'. The correct forms are 'in spite of' or 'despite'. Also, overusing the verb form where simpler words like 'annoy' or 'hurt' might be more natural.