Standard Lemma guide

vindictive

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: /vɪnˈdɪk.tɪv/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪktɪv
  • CMU ARPABET: V IH0 N D IH1 K T IH0 V Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having a tendency to seek revenge when wronged, vengeful.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: vengeful, revengeful, nasty, avengeful, pluckcrow, vengeable, vengesome, vindical, vindictive, wreakful

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Punitive.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: punishing, punitory, castigatory, punishmental, punitive, vindicatory, vindictive

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a despiteful fiend
  • a truly spiteful child
  • a vindictive man will look for occasions for resentment

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: despiteful, spiteful

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge- Shakespeare- M.R.Cohen

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • more vindictive than jealous love
  • punishments...essentially vindictive in their nature

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: revengeful, vengeful

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

55 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: վրեժխնդիր (vrežxndir) — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Armenian: ոխակալ (oxakal) — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Armenian: քինոտ (kʻinot) — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Belarusian: мсці́вы (mscívy) — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Belarusian: по́мслівы (pómslivy) — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Bulgarian: отмъсти́телен (otmǎstítelen) — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Czech: mstivý — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Czech: pomstychtivý — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Danish: hævngerrig — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Dutch: rancuneus — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Dutch: wraakzuchtig — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Esperanto: venĝema — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Finnish: kostonhaluinen — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Finnish: kostonhimoinen — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • French: vindicatif — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • French: rancuneux — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Georgian: შურისმაძიებელი (šurismaʒiebeli) — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Georgian: შურისმგებელი (šurismgebeli) — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • German: rachsüchtig — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Hungarian: bosszúszomjas — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Icelandic: hefnigjarn — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Icelandic: heiftrækinn — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Ido: venjema — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Ido: venjavida — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Irish: aifearach — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Irish: agrach — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Italian: vendicativo — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Central Kurdish: خوێنەخوێ (xwênexwê) — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Macedonian: одмазднички (odmazdnički) — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Macedonian: осветлив (osvetliv) — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Māori: whakamau — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Māori: kaikiko — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Māori: turatura — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Māori: whakakaitoa — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hevngjerrig — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Plautdietsch: racheewent — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Polish: mściwy — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Polish: złośliwy — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Portuguese: vingativo — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Portuguese: vingador — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Romanian: vindicativ — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Romanian: răzbunător — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Romanian: dușmănos — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Romanian: ranchiunos — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Russian: мсти́тельный (mstítelʹnyj) — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Scottish Gaelic: dìoghaltach — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Serbo-Croatian: осветољу̀бив — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Serbo-Croatian: osvetoljùbiv — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Slovak: pomstivý — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Slovak: pomstychtivý — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Slovene: maščevalen — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Spanish: vindicativo — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Spanish: vengativo — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Swedish: hämndlysten — having a tendency to seek revenge
  • Ukrainian: мсти́вий (mstývyj) — having a tendency to seek revenge