vindictive
adj. C1 Advanced US //vɪnˈdɪktɪv// UK //vɪndˈɪktɪv// vin·dic·tive
adj. feeling or showing a desire to hurt someone who has hurt you. You use this to describe someone who is angry and wants to get even.
adj. characterised by a desire to take revenge or cause harm to someone who has caused injury or loss. Often used to describe a person's personality or a specific action.
He acted in a vindictive way after losing the game.
The manager's vindictive response to the employee's mistake led to a formal complaint from the team.
The novel explores the psychological toll of a vindictive revenge plot, showing how the protagonist's quest for justice eventually consumes his own life.
From Latin vindicta (“vengeance”) + -ive. Contrast Latin vindicātīvus.