# What does the word vindictive mean to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 6, 2017, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-vindictive-mean-to-you/792949 "2017-08-06T21:36:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2017, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-vindictive-mean-to-you/792949/21 "2017-08-07T15:56:13Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Vindictive to me implies spiteful. Not just vengeful, which can be righteous, but small and mean Pretty much the same for me with a “constantly” added on to the small and mean. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2017, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-vindictive-mean-to-you/792949/22 "2017-08-07T18:10:14Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Yes, the hyoo-man language process is highly illogical. > > Does it bother you that there are other words for describing the way you feel about things that bug you? Or does that not irritate you at all? 😉 Yes, Noam Chomsky, everyone gets that language is a fluid, dynamic, and highly emergent phenomenon whose wild beauty cannot be tamed by the whims of mere pedants. We hear your bold and original observation. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2017, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-vindictive-mean-to-you/792949/23 "2017-08-07T18:36:03Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Uh, **HMS Irruncible,** that’s pretty much what I said. One of us can’t read, I don’t know which one. I could be wrong, but I interpreted you saying that a vindictive person is mainly motivated by revenge. As I see it, revenge is just one way of acting vindictive. To use a hypothetical example, let’s say your workplace makes some group policy decision. One person says the policy will cause serious problems for the customers, but everyone overrides him. Subsequently, that person acts in ways cause those exact problems for your customers. Is that revenge? Not really, because the victims aren’t the people who overrode the troublemaker. It definitely qualifies as spiteful. But the person’s motive is to be vindicated, so it seems to me that vindictive is a better fit than vengeful or spiteful. People can disagree on whether ‘vindictive’ is the best fit for the above scenario, but what do you think is a better fit? Or is there one? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-vindictive-mean-to-you/792949/24 "2017-08-07T20:54:37Z")
I didn’t vote because it wouldn’t let me choose multiple options (I would have selected 1-3). Also, I have a strong preference for public polls. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2017, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-vindictive-mean-to-you/792949/25 "2017-08-07T23:15:35Z")
If someone always needs to be “right”, but are really polite about establishing it, then they are **not** vindictive. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-vindictive-mean-to-you/792949/26 "2017-08-08T09:00:26Z")
“Closure” is now the euphemism of choice. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-vindictive-mean-to-you/792949/27 "2017-08-08T11:01:10Z")
I always associate vindictive with feeling slighted for no good reason and wanting revenge. jealousy and envy come to mind. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-vindictive-mean-to-you/792949.md?page=1)