vindictive
Having a tendency to seek revenge when wronged, vengeful.
Adjective
- Having a tendency to seek revenge when wronged, vengeful.
- Lord Avonleigh was an angry rather than a vindictive man. Vindictiveness requires more energy of character than he possessed. Indeed, it may be questioned whether he would of himself have taken the violent measures of...
- The vindictive mockery in her voice made his brain quiver. - 1920 November 9, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter XVIII, in Women in Love, New York, N.Y.: Privately printed [by Thomas Seltzer] for subscribers only,...
- The victors will exact vindictive penalties and the losers of course will undertake to pay, but none of them realizes that money is going to do the most extraordinary things to them when they begin upon that. - 1933...
Synonyms: vengeful revengeful nasty avengeful pluckcrow vengeable vengesome vindical vindictive wreakful
- Punitive.
Synonyms: punishing punitory castigatory punishmental punitive vindicatory vindictive
Origin
From Latin vindicta (“vengeance”) + -ive. Contrast Latin vindicātīvus.