- revengeful in spirit; inclined to seek vengeance
- said or done in revenge; characterized by vengeance: vindictive punishment
Origin of vindictive
from Classical Latin vindicta, revenge, vindication from vindicatus (see vindicate) + -ive
adjective
The definition of vindictive is someone who is out for revenge.
An example of vindictive is a person who writes down every mean thing ever said to her in a notebook so she can get back at the people who were unkind.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"vindictive." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 05 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/vindictive>.
APA Style
vindictive. (n.d.). Retrieved December 05th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/vindictive
vindictive
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"vindictive." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 05 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/vindictive>.
APA Style
vindictive. (n.d.). Retrieved December 05th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/vindictive
vindictive
adjective
- Disposed to seek revenge; revengeful.
- Marked by or resulting from a desire to hurt; spiteful.
Origin of vindictive
From Latin vindicta vengeance from vindex vindic- surety, avenger ; see vindicate .Related Forms:
- vin·dic′tive·ly
adverb
- vin·dic′tive·ness
noun
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"vindictive." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 05 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/vindictive>.
APA Style
vindictive. (n.d.). Retrieved December 05th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/vindictive
Adjective
(comparative more vindictive, superlative most vindictive)
Origin
From Latin vindicta (“vengeance"), from vindico (“claim, vindicate"), from vindex (“defender"), +"Ž -ive.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"vindictive." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 05 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/vindictive>.
APA Style
vindictive. (n.d.). Retrieved December 05th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/vindictive
Sentence Examples
- He's a very vindictive man.
- Indisputably Charles was cruel, ungenerous and vindictive; yet he seems, at all hazards, strenuously to have endeavoured to do his duty during a period of political and religious transition, and, despite his violence and brutality, possessed many of the qualities of a wise and courageous statesman.
- The man had a vindictive streak as wide as the valley, no doubt there.
- Bogdanich is vindictive and you'll pay for your obstinacy, said Kirsten.
- The "Vindictive" in addition to her to 6-in.
» more...
Words near vindictive in the dictionary
- vindictive
- vindictively
- vindictiveness
- vindoline