VINDICTIVE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does vindictive mean? 

• VINDICTIVE (adjective)
  The adjective VINDICTIVE has 2 senses:

1. disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge

2. showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite

  Familiarity information: VINDICTIVE used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• VINDICTIVE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge

Synonyms:

revengeful; vengeful; vindictive

Context example:

punishments...essentially vindictive in their nature

Similar:

unforgiving (unwilling or unable to forgive or show mercy)

Derivation:

vindictiveness (a malevolent desire for revenge)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite

Synonyms:

despiteful; spiteful; vindictive

Context example:

a vindictive man will look for occasions for resentment

Similar:

malicious (having the nature of or resulting from malice)

Derivation:

vindictiveness (a malevolent desire for revenge)

 Context examples 

Well, my dear sir, knowing the vindictive character of his old associates, he was trying to hide his own identity from everybody as long as he could.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The demure servant was gone, and there stood in his place a deep and dangerous man, one who might be an ardent lover or a most vindictive foe.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A very deep, malicious, vindictive person is the gentleman who is now waiting us downstairs.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Knowing his vindictive nature, I was perfectly certain that he would come to look upon his handiwork.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He was deathly pale, just like a waxen image, and the red eyes glared with the horrible vindictive look which I knew too well.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

"Sir," I interrupted him, "you are inexorable for that unfortunate lady: you speak of her with hate—with vindictive antipathy. It is cruel—she cannot help being mad."

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

He was yet to learn that for size and weight the weasel was the most ferocious, vindictive, and terrible of all the killers of the Wild.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

A behavior disorder characterized by a persistent pattern of defiant, disobedient, and hostile behavior towards authority figures, manifested by a frequent loss of temper, arguing, becoming angry or vindictive, or other negativistic behaviors.

(Oppositional Defiant Disorder, NCI Thesaurus)

This done, he went away, muttering, and uttered the cry of his trade next door, in a vindictive shriek.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

It is inconceivable that this fellow could have made two such vindictive enemies as these appear to be without knowing of it.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)