🇬🇧🇪🇸 spiteful - malévolo : English Lesson

Meaning of "spiteful" ("malévolo"), detailed definition, and a short video lesson below.

Spiteful means doing or saying something unkind on purpose because you feel mad or upset with someone and want to bother them, even in a small way. A spiteful person isn’t just having a bad day—they choose to be mean to get back at someone or to hurt their feelings.

Watch and listen to this English flashcard to understand the word in more detail, with an easy example sentence.

The spiteful ghost didn’t say “boo”; it just kept slightly tilting all the pictures on the wall to drive us crazy.

In a spiteful burst of drama, my brother hid only one shoe from every pair I own.

My spiteful cousin licked the last cookie and put it back so no one else would want it.

The spiteful seagull stole my sandwich, then came back just to drop the crust right in front of me.

The spiteful cat knocked only my favorite cup off the table and then stared at me like it was proud.

At the bake sale, Sara made a spiteful face; she had been angry all morning and left a spiteful note on Tom's cake: "Too sweet for you." Tom, hurt, took a spiteful bite, showed a spiteful frown, then quietly gave the cake to a child. The child smiled; Sara's spiteful look faded.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

Expanding your English vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation, spelling, and confidence in English. Watch the video above to memorize the word, understand its meaning, and see example sentences in action. Discover related words to grow your vocabulary naturally. Add words to your playlist for stress-free, effective learning—anytime, anywhere! Watch, learn, repeat.