Word
spite
US/ˈspaɪt/
UK/spˈaɪt/
Definitions
01malice or ill will
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. a feeling of wanting to annoy or upset someone, often because you feel they have treated you badly.
n. a desire to harm, annoy, or frustrate someone, typically characterized by petty malice or ill will.
日本語:悪意※
“He only invited her ex-boyfriend to the party out of pure spite.”
“The decision to block the promotion seemed to be motivated more by personal spite than by any objective assessment of her professional performance.”
Synonyms
02in spite of
B1 · Intermediate
prep. used to say that something happens even though there is something else that might prevent it.
prep. functioning as a complex preposition meaning 'notwithstanding' or 'despite'.
“In spite of the heavy rain, the football match continued until the end.”
“The company reported record profits in spite of the global economic downturn and rising energy costs.”
Usage
Always used in the fixed phrase 'in spite of'.
Pitfall
He went out in spite the rain.
He went out in spite of the rain.
The word 'spite' must be followed by 'of' when used as a preposition.
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “spite” in context.
Verb
01. act from spite
“It was clear that the witness was acting from spite rather than telling the truth.”
verb + prep + noun
02. be motivated by spite
“The harsh criticism was clearly motivated by spite because of their past rivalry.”
verb + prep + noun
Adjective
03. petty spite
“The manager's decision to cancel his vacation seemed like an act of petty spite.”
adj + noun
04. pure spite
“She refused to help him not because she was busy, but out of pure spite.”
adj + noun
Noun
05. feeling of spite
“A sudden feeling of spite washed over him when he saw his ex-partner's success.”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
06. in spite of
“In spite of the heavy rain, the outdoor concert continued as planned.”
prep + noun + prep
07. out of spite
“He deleted all her photos out of spite after they had a huge argument.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“We do it in spite of our platforms, not because of them.” Etymology
From Middle English spit, a shortening of despit (whence despite), from Old French despit, from Latin dēspectum (“looking down on”), from Latin dēspiciō (“to look down, despise”). Compare also North Frisian spīt, spīd (“regret”), Saterland Frisian Spiet (“regret, remorse”), West Frisian spyt (“regret”), Dutch spijt (“regret, remorse”), German Low German Spiet (“anger, regret, remorse”), German Spiet (“annoyance, vexation”), Swedish spit (“insult, outrage, annoyance”), Norwegian spit (“insult, outrage, annoyance”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/spite
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0