mean-spirited

adjective

Definition of mean-spiritednext
as in cruel
feeling or showing a desire to cause harm or pain a mean-spirited person He wrote a mean-spirited book review.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mean-spirited While most are supportive, a fair number are critical, even mean-spirited. — Barbara Vandenburgh, USA TODAY, 16 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mean-spirited
  1. cruel
  2. vicious
  3. hateful
  4. unkind
  5. nasty
  6. obnoxious
  7. spiteful
  8. contemptuous
Adjective
  • The policy of sending them to a third country has been condemned as harsh and cruel.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Eight men were killed via gassing until an Alabama district judge ruled the execution method unconstitutionally cruel, in June; the Supreme Court has maintained the block.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • Experts are voicing concerns over the vicious cycle of rising debt and higher yields.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Verity dwells almost entirely in the gulf between the front-facing celeb being interviewed by Alex Cooper and the vicious private thoughts of her confession.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • The fanbase has been labeled as hateful by the media, opposing players and even A'ja Wilson's mom.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The apology was met with a lukewarm reaction from a public that had watched the rapper’s troubling antics and hateful statements for years.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of hateful
Adjective
  • But, to be fair, there were indeed some unkind comments online and none of those are apparent when other performers take unorthodox approaches to the national anthem, such as performing it with bagpipes.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • As viewers enjoy the new series and revisit the original, online commentary has been unkind about Guy’s appearance.
    — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of unkind
Adjective
  • The New York Yankees were still reeling from a nasty gut punch — a 1-0 loss to the rival Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the best-of-five American League Division Series at Tropicana Field on Saturday night.
    — Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Frank Senior was a barber who dreamed of being a singer, a nasty cur who beat his two sons and verbally whittled them down to a nub.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of nasty
Adjective
  • Carla is suffering through a press junket for a new spy movie titled The Milliner with her obnoxious co-star, Jeremy (Aaron Tsindos).
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • But others have slammed the effort as a pretentious and obnoxious slog.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of obnoxious
Adjective
  • The anger leads them to Rupert, Rebecca’s forever-spiteful ex.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Cox’s film is biased in Bill’s favor, portraying him as a lapdog whose love for this screeching, spiteful, beady-eyed woman is his great tragic flaw.
    — Katie Rife, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of spiteful
Adjective
  • Below the surface, there is a lot of contemptuous finger-pointing about where the anti-AI energy now coursing through the political-media landscape is coming from.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Relative to the contemptuous silence of the Mike Ashley regime, there is no comparison — but even when compared to previous post-takeover administrations, Newcastle are being more communicative.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of contemptuous

Browse Nearby Words

means
mean-spirited
mean-spiritedness
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Cite this Entry

“Mean-spirited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mean-spirited. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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