spitefully

Spitefully is an adverb used to describe an action performed with spite, that is, with malicious, petty ill will toward someone or something. It derives from the adjective spiteful, which describes the quality of malice, and the noun spite. The word modifies verbs, adjectives, or clauses to indicate the manner of action, typically implying deliberate harm or petty hostility rather than accident or mere rudeness.

In usage, spitefully tends to appear in more formal or literary contexts and carries a clearly negative connotation. It can describe how someone speaks, acts, or thinks. Example: “She answered spitefully, knowing it would upset him.” The idioms out of spite, in spite, and for spite signal motivation rooted in resentment or a grudge rather than necessity.

Etymology and related terms: The core noun is spite; the adjective is spiteful, and the adverb is spitefully, formed by adding -ly to the adjective. Related concepts include malice, malevolence, grudges, and petty hostility. See also: spite, spiteful, malice.