as in malice
the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm
nothing more than unprovoked meanness drove him to smash the child's toy
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Recent Examples of meanness
Trump’s petulance, meanness, and willingness to punish a religious institution for its Church’s moral witness is a warning to every faith community in America.
—
Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
Would there be perpetual meanness and the absence of kindness toward each other as human beings?
—Kevin Powell, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
The result is a movie where the jokes are just mean, and the meanness isn’t funny, leading to a cynical denouement that’s been done many times before.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 16 Mar. 2026
Scott inflicts Ohm’s nonchalant meanness with a piercingly perverse matter-of-factness that places the character as far away as possible from the realm of likeability.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
There is still some of that here, but a lot of Martin’s light-touch meanness is drowned out by his insistence on describing his characters within the context of early COVID — pulling out those masks from the closet.
—Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
There is still some of that here, but a lot of Martin’s light-touch meanness is drowned out by his insistence on describing his characters within the context of early COVID — pulling out those masks from the closet.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026
It is hoped that political ad campaigns would aim to lessen the meanness and divisiveness and vulgarity that have damaged our democracy.
—Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
The world has a lot of meanness in it.
—Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor, 9 July 2025
Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
Would there be perpetual meanness and the absence of kindness toward each other as human beings?
—Kevin Powell, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
The result is a movie where the jokes are just mean, and the meanness isn’t funny, leading to a cynical denouement that’s been done many times before.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 16 Mar. 2026
Scott inflicts Ohm’s nonchalant meanness with a piercingly perverse matter-of-factness that places the character as far away as possible from the realm of likeability.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
There is still some of that here, but a lot of Martin’s light-touch meanness is drowned out by his insistence on describing his characters within the context of early COVID — pulling out those masks from the closet.
—Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
There is still some of that here, but a lot of Martin’s light-touch meanness is drowned out by his insistence on describing his characters within the context of early COVID — pulling out those masks from the closet.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026
It is hoped that political ad campaigns would aim to lessen the meanness and divisiveness and vulgarity that have damaged our democracy.
—Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
The world has a lot of meanness in it.
—Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor, 9 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meanness
Noun
-
Actual malice is the legal standard by which courts determine if someone is liable for libel.—
Keely Bastow,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Apr. 2026
-
However, the evidence of actual malice does not approach the clear and convincing standard.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Initially, the couple was arrested on charges of first-degree manslaughter, first-degree unlawful restraint, intentional cruelty to persons, risk of injury to a minor and conspiracy to commit risk of injury to a minor.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
-
There was a particular cruelty in having lived with her hearing for 28 years before losing it.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hence, iron likely provides the structural integrity needed to hold struggling prey long enough for the venom to take effect.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Movement can help venom spread through the body.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the centuries since colonists waged war against the crown, American’s attitudes toward the royals have shifted from hatred to adoration.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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But the War on Terror persisted and mutated into nightmares in Iraq and Afghanistan, and then Syria, which unleashed that darkness in the form of terrorist states and a refugee crisis that spread anti-Muslim and anti-migrant hatred to Europe, the United States, and beyond.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Meanness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meanness. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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