vindictiveness

American  

[vin-dik-tiv-nis] / vɪnˈdɪk tɪv nɪs /

noun

1. a vengeful character or quality; a spirit of revenge.

   Grudges, vindictiveness, jealousies, and so on are part of being human, but must be separated from hiring decisions.

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Other Word Forms

• unvindictiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of vindictiveness

vindictive ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

"There is a sort of public vindictiveness directed against them," one of the three lawyers, Yaël Hayat, said.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026

He extensively quotes both men's social media posts to "get a full sense of the madness," arguing they're both being consumed by their tendencies "to grandiosity, vindictiveness and paranoia."

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2025

Your mother-in-law is gone, so don’t let her vindictiveness poison your husband and his brother’s relationship from beyond the grave.

From Slate • Oct. 31, 2022

But that vindictiveness seems to retreat — or is it deepening? — when Peter returns from school to visit his mother and, against all odds, begins to forge an odd kinship with his former tormenter.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 16, 2021

Which heir was the target of Westing's vindictiveness?

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin