Mean-spirited
Vicious and mean-spirited are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Vicious" instead an adjective phrase "Mean-spirited".
Vicious
Vicious adjective - Having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it.
Usage example: he spread vicious rumors about his ex-wife after their bitter divorce
Mean-spirited and vicious are semantically related. You can use "Mean-spirited" instead an adjective "Vicious".
Nearby Word: viciously
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
Both words in one sentence
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Jerkass: The stormtroopers and imperial officers here are unusually vicious and mean-spirited.
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Mean Character, Nice Actor: She's played characters that vary from simply mean-spirited to outright vicious, but the lady herself is well-loved by fans and fellow actors alike for her humility.
Source: Creator / Sanaa Lathan -
Gnomes are stated to have once been peaceful creatures until a mysterious influence turned them vicious, mean-spirited, murderous and overall very, very naughty.
Source: Our Gnomes Are Weirder
Cite this Source
Vicious and Mean-spirited. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 01, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/mean-spirited/vicious
Mean-spirited & Vicious. N.p., 2016. Web. 01 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/mean-spirited/vicious>.
Vicious or Mean-spirited. 2016. Accessed August 01, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/mean-spirited/vicious.