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spite meaning and examples

2025-09-03

Meaning

  • Spite (noun): A feeling of anger, bitterness, or a desire to hurt, annoy, or upset someone.
  • Spite (verb, usually used as “to spite”): To deliberately hurt, offend, or annoy someone, often out of malice.

Grammar and Usage

  • Part of speech: Noun and verb

  • Noun usage: Used to describe a negative emotion or motive.

    • Example: He refused out of spite.

  • Verb usage (to spite): Transitive verb, meaning it takes a direct object.

    • Example: She spread the rumor just to spite him.

  • Common in the phrase “in spite of”, which means “despite” or “regardless of.”

    • Example: In spite of the rain, the game continued.

Common Phrases

  • In spite of – despite, regardless of.
  • Do something out of spite – act with the intention of hurting or annoying someone.
  • Petty spite – small, mean-spirited malice.

Collocations

  • act out of spite
  • full of spite
  • bitter spite
  • petty spite
  • to spite someone

Examples

  1. He refused to help her out of sheer spite.
  2. She succeeded in her career in spite of many obstacles.
  3. He slammed the door to spite his parents.
  4. Their relationship ended in bitterness and spite.
  5. The child broke his toy just to spite his brother.
  6. In spite of his illness, he continued to work hard.
  7. Her words were full of spite and jealousy.
  8. He donated money in spite of his financial troubles.
  • Noun: malice, bitterness, hostility, ill will
  • Verb: annoy, offend, provoke, hurt
  • Phrase related: despite, regardless of