spite

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: spīt, IPA: /spaɪt/, X-SAMPA: /spaIt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪt

Etymology 1

From a shortening of Middle English despit, from Old French despit (whence despite). Cf. also Dutch spijt.

Noun

spite (usually uncountable; plural spites)

1. Ill will or hatred toward another, accompanied with the disposition to irritate, annoy, or thwart; a desire to vex or injure; petty malice; grudge; rancor.

   He was so filled with spite for his ex-wife, he could not hold down a job.

   He did it just for spite.

2. Vexation; chagrin; mortification.

Translations

ill-will or hatred toward another; a desire to vex or injure

• Armenian: քեն (hy) (k’en)
• Catalan: despit (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 赌气 (cmn) (dǔ qì)

• Czech: zlomyslnost (cs) f
• Dutch: boosaardigheid (nl) m, wrok (nl) m
• Estonian: vahkviha (et)
• Finnish: pahansuopuus (fi), ilkeys (fi), häijyys (fi), kauna (fi), katkeruus (fi)

• French: dépit (fr) m, rancune (fr)
• German: Boshaftigkeit (de) f, Gehässigkeit (de) f
• Ido: despito (io)
• Italian: rancore (it), malevolenza (it)
• Romanian: ciudă (ro), răutate (ro)
• Russian: недоброжелательность (ru) (nedobroželatelʹnostʹ) f
• Spanish: despecho (es), rencor (es), malicia (es)
• Turkish: kin (tr), garez (tr)

vexation, chagrin, mortification

• Dutch: ergernis (nl), droefheid (nl), ascese (nl), irritatie (nl)
• Estonian: tusk (et), meelehärm (et)
• Finnish: mielipaha (fi)

• French: dépit (fr)
• Italian: dispetto (it)
• Romanian: supărare (ro) f, dispreț (ro) n, vexațiune (ro) f

Verb

spite (third-person singular simple present spites, present participle spiting, simple past and past participle spited)

1. (transitive) To treat maliciously; to try to injure or thwart.

   She soon married again, to spite her ex-husband.

2. (transitive, obsolete) To be angry at; to hate.

   The Danes, then […] pagans, spited places of religion. — Fuller.

3. (transitive) To fill with spite; to offend; to vex.

   Darius, spited at the Magi, endeavoured to abolish not only their learning, but their language. — Sir. W. Temple.

Related terms

• spiteful
• in spite of
• despite

Translations

to be angry at; to hate

• Dutch: haten (nl)

• Romanian: urî (ro)

to treat maliciously

• Dutch: mishandelen (nl)
• Finnish: kiusata (fi), ärsyttää (fi), loukata (fi)
• Italian: vessare (it)

• Portuguese: provocar (pt)
• Romanian: maltrata (ro)

to fill with spite

• Hungarian: bosszant (hu)
• Romanian: ofensa (ro), vexa (ro)

See also

• malignant
• malicious

Etymology 2

Preposition

spite

1. Notwithstanding; despite.

Statistics

• Most common English words before 1923: troops · meeting · corner · #899: spite · built · lower · lead

Anagrams

• piets, piste, stipe