Dictionary

vindictive en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /vɪnˈdɪk.tɪv/ (UK, US)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

From Latin vindicta (“vengeance”) + -ive. Contrast Latin vindicātīvus.

Meanings

1. 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 preceding evening. 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXXIX, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 326:
   • 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, →OCLC:
   • 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 September, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “Introduction: The Dream Book of Dr. Philip Raven”, in The Shape of Things to Come, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC, page 5:
2. (obsolete) Punitive.

Forms

Deriveds

vindictivity · vindictively · unvindictive · vindictive protectiveness · vindictiveness

Relateds

vindicate · vindicator · vindication

Synonyms

revengeful · wreakful · vindicatory · punitory · punishing · vindictive · punitive · vengesome · revengeful · punitory · punishmental · vindical · avengeful · vindictive · vengeful · pluckcrow · castigatory · nasty · vengeful · vengeable

Translations (54)

mi whakakaitoa (having a tendency to seek revenge) · mi turatura (having a tendency to seek revenge) · sh осветољу̀бив (having a tendency to seek revenge) · be мсці́вы (having a tendency to seek revenge) · ckb خوێنەخوێ (having a tendency to seek revenge) · nl wraakzuchtig (having a tendency to seek revenge) · it vendicativo (having a tendency to seek revenge) · fr vindicatif (having a tendency to seek revenge) · ro vindicativ (having a tendency to seek revenge) · pt vingador (having a tendency to seek revenge) · is hefnigjarn (having a tendency to seek revenge) · ga aifearach (having a tendency to seek revenge) · ro dușmănos (having a tendency to seek revenge) · ru мсти́тельный (having a tendency to seek revenge) · uk мсти́вий (having a tendency to seek revenge) · fi kostonhimoinen (having a tendency to seek revenge) · nl rancuneus (having a tendency to seek revenge) · cs pomstychtivý (having a tendency to seek revenge) · es vindicativo (having a tendency to seek revenge) · fi kostonhaluinen (having a tendency to seek revenge) · da hævngerrig (having a tendency to seek revenge) · sk pomstivý (having a tendency to seek revenge) · hy քինոտ (having a tendency to seek revenge) · ro răzbunător (having a tendency to seek revenge) · de rachsüchtig (having a tendency to seek revenge) · mi kaikiko (having a tendency to seek revenge) · be по́мслівы (having a tendency to seek revenge) · pt vingativo (having a tendency to seek revenge) · ka შურისმაძიებელი (having a tendency to seek revenge) · mk одмазднички (having a tendency to seek revenge) · io venjavida (having a tendency to seek revenge) · eo venĝema (having a tendency to seek revenge) · gd dìoghaltach (having a tendency to seek revenge) · pl złośliwy (having a tendency to seek revenge) · pl mściwy (having a tendency to seek revenge) · hy վրեժխնդիր (having a tendency to seek revenge) · sl maščevalen (having a tendency to seek revenge) · sk pomstychtivý (having a tendency to seek revenge) · cs mstivý (having a tendency to seek revenge) · mi whakamau (having a tendency to seek revenge) · sv hämndlysten (having a tendency to seek revenge) · pdt racheewent (having a tendency to seek revenge) · io venjema (having a tendency to seek revenge) · nb hevngjerrig (having a tendency to seek revenge) · sh osvetoljùbiv (having a tendency to seek revenge) · ga agrach (having a tendency to seek revenge) · ka შურისმგებელი (having a tendency to seek revenge) · hy ոխակալ (having a tendency to seek revenge) · hu bosszúszomjas (having a tendency to seek revenge) · bg отмъсти́телен (having a tendency to seek revenge) · fr rancuneux (having a tendency to seek revenge) · is heiftrækinn (having a tendency to seek revenge) · mk осветлив (having a tendency to seek revenge) · ro ranchiunos (having a tendency to seek revenge)