meanspirited

7.4

Unkind and petty in a way that hurts other people

adjective
/ˈmiːnˌspɪrɪtɪd/

Offensive

: mezquino

Don't be so meanspirited towards your friends.

Examples

She found his refusal to help out both petty and meanspirited.
Her meanspirited comments hurt his feelings.
A meanspirited attitude will only isolate you from others.
His meanspirited remarks ruined the atmosphere at the dinner table.
Her meanspirited remarks hurt the feelings of everyone in the room.
He made a meanspirited comment about her appearance that left her in tears.
Despite their meanspirited behavior, she chose to respond with kindness and generosity.

Synonyms

mean

vsmeanspirited

699 2.2

Unkind and cruel toward other people

is similar but also highlights pettiness and lack of generosity

cruel

vsmeanspirited

522 2.7

Willing to cause pain or suffering to others

is broader, adding petty or ungenerous motives rather than only harm

heartless

vsmeanspirited

Offensive

79 4.1

Not showing kindness or sympathy to others

is similar but adds a petty, small-hearted quality regarding generosity

cold-blooded

vsmeanspirited

Offensive

54 6.1

Showing no pity and acting cruel on purpose

matches the lack of pity but includes pettiness about giving

unkind

vsmeanspirited

44 1.0

Not friendly or caring to other people

is harsher, implying deliberate meanness and stinginess

callous

vsmeanspirited

41 7.3

Not caring about other people's feelings or pain

matches cruelty but the key adds stinginess and petty nastiness

unsympathetic

vsmeanspirited

7 4.9

Not feeling sorry for someone or caring about their problems

is closer but adds active unkindness and petty lack of generosity

pitiless

vsmeanspirited

7 7.0

Not showing any pity or kindness

is similar yet also suggests stingy, petty motivations in behaviour

remorseless

vsmeanspirited

6 7.5

Not feeling sorry and continuing without stopping when hurting others

is similarly harsh but also implies mean small-minded behaviour

uncharitable

vsmeanspirited

5 6.7

Not kind or generous and quick to judge others harshly

overlaps but also stresses spiteful or petty cruelty

ungenerous

vsmeanspirited

2 6.2

Not willing to give money or help others

is similar but also stresses personal unkindness and meanness

uncompassionate

vsmeanspirited

1 7.3

Not caring when other people suffer

is similar yet also stresses spiteful smallness and ungenerosity

roughshod

vsmeanspirited

1 8.9

Acting in a harsh way that ignores other people's feelings

is related but the key focuses more on petty unkindness than force

kindless

vsmeanspirited

Archaic

1 8.6

A person who does not show care for other people

adds a sense of cruelty plus petty withholding rather than only coldness

niggardly

vsmeanspirited

Archaic

1 9.9

Not willing to give or spend much money

includes that stinginess but also implies personal cruelty or spite

hardhearted

vsmeanspirited

1 7.2

Not feeling or showing pity for other people

shares mercilessness but also suggests mean smallness in behaviour

ungentle

vsmeanspirited

1 7.7

Harsh and unkind in the way someone acts

is similar but the key centers on smallness and lack of generosity

unpitying

vsmeanspirited

8.8

Not showing kindness or mercy when others suffer

overlaps but the key adds petty withholding and lack of kindness

stonyhearted

vsmeanspirited

9.6

Not feeling sorry for other people

is like that but also stresses cruelty mixed with stinginess

noncharitable

vsmeanspirited

6.7

Not showing kindness to other people

is similar but the key emphasizes cruel smallness as well

lowdown

vsmeanspirited

Offensive

7.4

Mean and unfair in a way that hurts others

overlaps but the key stresses smallness and ungenerous motives

ungiving

vsmeanspirited

7.4

Not willing to give, share, or be kind to others

matches ungivingness but also implies spiteful cruelty beyond stinginess

Antonyms

generous

79 1.2

Willing to forgive small mistakes and not be strict

kindhearted

5 2.5

A person who is kind and caring

How Unkind

vicious

222 5.2

cruel

522 2.7

meanspirited

Offensive

7.4

mean

699 2.2

unkind

44 1.0

Surface Forms

meanspirited positive

Morphology

meanspirited = mean + spirited (transparent) = mean + spirited

The compound is a direct combination of 'mean' (unkind) + 'spirited' (having a disposition), so the overall sense 'unkind in disposition' is directly inferable.

Etymology

Meanspirited comes from mean ('unkind' or 'petty') and spirit ('attitude' or 'inner feeling'), so it describes someone with an 'unkind spirit' and means a person who behaves cruelly or is not generous.