Mean vs. Spiteful — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 7, 2024
Mean describes being unkind or cruel, often habitually, whereas spiteful indicates a desire to intentionally cause harm or distress out of malice.
Difference Between Mean and Spiteful
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Key Differences
Mean refers to unkindness or cruelty, often shown through harsh behavior or words. Spiteful, on the other hand, involves deliberate malice, where someone acts with the intention to hurt or upset others.
Being mean might manifest as habitual rudeness or callousness, often without regard to others' feelings. In contrast, being spiteful specifically involves calculated actions meant to exact revenge or cause harm.
Mean behavior often includes inconsiderate comments or actions that may unintentionally offend. Meanwhile, spiteful actions are premeditated, driven by the intention to provoke emotional pain.
A mean person might act cruelly due to indifference or personal frustration. However, a spiteful individual generally harbors grudges and directs their actions at those they perceive as adversaries.
While meanness can result from personality traits or situational stress, spitefulness is often rooted in deeper animosities and manifests in revenge or sabotage.
ADVERTISEMENT
Comparison Chart
Definition
Unkind or cruel behavior
Deliberate desire to cause harm
Intent
Can be unintentional
Intentionally malicious
Motivation
Habitual unkindness
Personal grudges and hostility
Nature of Actions
Harsh words or inconsiderate deeds
Premeditated acts causing distress
Causes
Indifference or frustration
Deep-rooted animosity
Compare with Definitions
Mean
Stingy or unwilling to share.
The landlord was mean with his resources.
Spiteful
Full of malice or a desire to inflict harm.
The employee was spiteful towards his manager after being reprimanded.
Mean
Inferior in quality or appearance.
The cabin had a mean, dilapidated look.
Spiteful
Showing a desire for petty revenge.
Her spiteful comments were meant to undermine her colleague.
Mean
Difficult or tricky to handle.
That engine is a mean machine to repair.
Spiteful
Intent on causing discomfort or distress.
His spiteful behavior included spreading rumors about his ex-friend.
Mean
Intentionally unkind or cruel.
He was mean to his classmates, often calling them names.
Spiteful
Acting with bitterness toward others.
The opposing team was spiteful after their defeat.
Mean
Lowly or poor in social status.
He was born into a mean family background.
Spiteful
Marked by a vindictive nature.
The villain acted spitefully to ruin the hero's plans.
Mean
There are several kinds of mean in mathematics, especially in statistics: For a data set, the arithmetic mean, also known as average or arithmetic average, is a central value of a finite set of numbers: specifically, the sum of the values divided by the number of values. The arithmetic mean of a set of numbers x1, x2, ..., xn is typically denoted by x ¯ {\displaystyle {\bar {x}}} .
Spiteful
Showing or caused by malice
The teachers made spiteful little jokes about me
Mean
Intend to convey or refer to (a particular thing); signify
I don't know what you mean
I meant you, not Jones
He was asked to clarify what his remarks meant
Spiteful
Filled with, prompted by, or showing spite; malicious.
Mean
Intend (something) to occur or be the case
It was meant to be a secret
They mean no harm
Spiteful
Filled with, or showing, spite; having a desire to annoy or harm.
Mean
Have as a consequence or result
The proposals are likely to mean another hundred closures
Heavy rain meant that the pitch was waterlogged
Spiteful
Filled with, or showing, spite; having a desire to vex, annoy, or injure; malignant; malicious; as, a spiteful person or act.
Mean
Unwilling to give or share things, especially money; not generous
They're not mean with the garlic
She felt mean not giving a tip
Spiteful
Showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite;
A despiteful fiend
A truly spiteful child
A vindictive man will look for occasions for resentment
Mean
Unkind, spiteful, or unfair
I was mean to them over the festive season
Mean
(especially of a place) poor in quality and appearance; shabby
Her home was mean and small
Mean
Very skilful or effective; excellent
She dances a mean tango
He's a mean cook
Mean
(of a quantity) calculated as a mean; average
Participants in the study had a mean age of 35 years
Mean
Equally far from two extremes
Hope is the mean virtue between despair and presumption
Mean
The value obtained by dividing the sum of several quantities by their number; an average
Acid output was calculated by taking the mean of all three samples
Mean
A condition, quality, or course of action equally removed from two opposite extremes
The measure expresses a mean between saving and splashing out
Mean
To be used to convey; denote
"'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things'" (Lewis Carroll).
Mean
To act as a symbol of; signify or represent
In this poem, the budding flower means youth.
Mean
To intend to convey or indicate
"No one means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous" (Henry Adams).
Mean
To have as a purpose or an intention; intend
I meant to go running this morning, but I overslept.
Mean
To design, intend, or destine for a certain purpose or end
A building that was meant for storage.
A student who was meant to be a scientist.
Mean
To have as a consequence; bring about
Friction means heat.
Mean
To have the importance or value of
The opinions of the critics meant nothing to him. She meant so much to me.
Mean
To have intentions of a specified kind; be disposed
They mean well but lack tact.
Mean
Lacking in kindness; unkind
The teacher was not being mean in asking you to be quiet.
Mean
Cruel, spiteful, or malicious
A mean boy who liked to make fun of others.
Mean
Expressing spite or malice
Gave me a mean look.
Mean
Tending toward or characterized by cruelty or violence
Mean streets.
Mean
Extremely unpleasant or disagreeable
The meanest storm in years.
Mean
Ignoble; base
A mean motive. ].
Mean
Occupying a middle or intermediate position between two extremes.
Mean
Intermediate in size, extent, quality, time, or degree; medium.
Mean
Something having a position, quality, or condition midway between extremes; a medium.
Mean
A number that typifies a set of numbers, such as a geometric mean or an arithmetic mean.
Mean
The average value of a set of numbers.
Mean
(Logic) The middle term in a syllogism.
Mean
Means (used with a sing. or pl. verb) A method, a course of action, or an instrument by which an act can be accomplished or an end achieved.
Mean
Money, property, or other wealth
You ought to live within your means.
Mean
Great wealth
A woman of means.
Mean
To intend.
Mean
(transitive) To intend, to plan (to do); to have as one's intention.
I didn't mean to knock your tooth out.
I mean to go to Baddeck this summer.
I meant to take the car in for a smog check, but it slipped my mind.
The authors meant a challenge to the status quo.
Mean
(intransitive) To have as intentions of a given kind.
Don't be angry; she meant well.
Mean
To intend (something) for a given purpose or fate; to predestine.
Actually this desk was meant for the subeditor.
Man was not meant to question such things.
Mean
(transitive) To intend an ensuing comment or statement as an explanation.[https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/i_mean%20I%20mean]
Your reasoning seems needlessly abstruse, complex, and verbose for me. I mean, could you dumb it down for my sake?
Mean
To convey (a meaning).
Mean
(transitive) To convey (a given sense); to signify, or indicate (an object or idea).
The sky is red this morning—does that mean we're in for a storm?
Mean
(transitive) Of a word, symbol etc: to have reference to, to signify.
What does this hieroglyph mean?
Mean
(transitive) Of a person (or animal etc): to intend to express, to imply, to hint at, to allude.
I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean.
He is a little different, if you know what I mean.
Mean
(transitive) To have conviction in (something said or expressed); to be sincere in (what one says).
Does she really mean what she said to him last night?
Say what you mean and mean what you say.
Mean
(transitive) To cause or produce (a given result); to bring about (a given result).
One faltering step means certain death.
Mean
(usually with to) To be of some level of importance.
That little dog meant everything to me.
Formality and titles mean nothing in their circle.
Mean
To lament.
Mean
(obsolete) Common; general.
Mean
Of a common or low origin, grade, or quality; common; humble.
A man of mean parentage
A mean abode
Mean
Low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby.
A mean appearance
A mean dress
Mean
Without dignity of mind; destitute of honour; low-minded; spiritless; base.
A mean motive
It was mean of you to steal that little girl's piggy bank.
Mean
Of little value or worth; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.
Mean
Ungenerous; stingy; tight-fisted.
He's so mean. I've never seen him spend so much as five pounds on presents for his children.
Mean
Disobliging; pettily offensive or unaccommodating.
Mean
Intending to cause harm, successfully or otherwise; bearing ill will towards another.
Watch out for her, she's mean. I said good morning to her, and she punched me in the nose.
Mean
Powerful; fierce; strong.
It must have been a mean typhoon that levelled this town.
Mean
(colloquial) Accomplished with great skill; deft; hard to compete with.
Your mother can roll a mean cigarette.
He hits a mean backhand.
Mean
Difficult, tricky.
This problem is mean!
Mean
Having the mean (see noun below) as its value; average.
The mean family has 2.4 children.
Mean
(obsolete) Middling; intermediate; moderately good, tolerable.
Mean
A method or course of action used to achieve some result.
Mean
An intermediate step or intermediate steps.
Mean
Something which is intermediate or in the middle; an intermediate value or range of values; a medium.
Mean
The middle part of three-part polyphonic music; now specifically, the alto part in polyphonic music; an alto instrument.
Mean
(statistics) The average of a set of values, calculated by summing them together and dividing by the number of terms; the arithmetic mean.
Mean
(mathematics) Any function of multiple variables that satisfies certain properties and yields a number representative of its arguments; or, the number so yielded; a measure of central tendency.
Mean
(mathematics) Either of the two numbers in the middle of a conventionally presented proportion, as 2 and 3 in 1:2=3:6.
Mean
To have in the mind, as a purpose, intention, etc.; to intend; to purpose; to design; as, what do you mean to do?
What mean ye by this service ?
Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good.
I am not a SpaniardTo say that it is yours and not to mean it.
Mean
To signify; to indicate; to import; to denote.
What mean these seven ewe lambs ?
Go ye, and learn what that meaneth.
Mean
To have a purpose or intention.
Mean
Destitute of distinction or eminence; common; low; vulgar; humble.
The mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself.
Mean
Wanting dignity of mind; low-minded; base; destitute of honor; spiritless; as, a mean motive.
Can you imagine I so mean could prove,To save my life by changing of my love ?
Mean
Of little value or account; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.
The Roman legions and great Cæsar foundOur fathers no mean foes.
Mean
Of poor quality; as, mean fare.
Mean
Penurious; stingy; close-fisted; illiberal; as, mean hospitality.
Mean
Occupying a middle position; middle; being about midway between extremes.
Being of middle age and a mean stature.
Mean
Intermediate in excellence of any kind.
According to the fittest style of lofty, mean, or lowly.
Mean
Average; having an intermediate value between two extremes, or between the several successive values of a variable quantity during one cycle of variation; as, mean distance; mean motion; mean solar day.
Mean
That which is mean, or intermediate, between two extremes of place, time, or number; the middle point or place; middle rate or degree; mediocrity; medium; absence of extremes or excess; moderation; measure.
But to speak in a mean, the virtue of prosperity is temperance; the virtue of adversity is fortitude.
There is a mean in all things.
The extremes we have mentioned, between which the wellinstracted Christian holds the mean, are correlatives.
Mean
A quantity having an intermediate value between several others, from which it is derived, and of which it expresses the resultant value; usually, unless otherwise specified, it is the simple average, formed by adding the quantities together and dividing by their number, which is called an arithmetical mean. A geometrical mean is the nth root of the product of the n quantities being averaged.
Mean
That through which, or by the help of which, an end is attained; something tending to an object desired; intermediate agency or measure; necessary condition or coagent; instrument.
Their virtuous conversation was a mean to work the conversion of the heathen to Christ.
You may be able, by this mean, to review your own scientific acquirements.
Philosophical doubt is not an end, but a mean.
By this means he had them more at vantage.
What other means is left unto us.
Mean
Resources; property, revenue, or the like, considered as the condition of easy livelihood, or an instrumentality at command for effecting any purpose; disposable force or substance.
Your means are very slender, and your waste is great.
Mean
A part, whether alto or tenor, intermediate between the soprano and base; a middle part.
The mean is drowned with your unruly base.
Mean
Meantime; meanwhile.
Mean
A mediator; a go-between.
He wooeth her by means and by brokage.
If by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead.
The wine on this side of the lake is by no means so good as that on the other.
Mean
An average of n numbers computed by adding some function of the numbers and dividing by some function of n
Mean
Mean or intend to express or convey;
You never understand what I mean!
What do his words intend?
Mean
Have as a logical consequence;
The water shortage means that we have to stop taking long showers
Mean
Denote or connote;
`maison' means `house' in French
An example sentence would show what this word means
Mean
Have in mind as a purpose;
I mean no harm
I only meant to help you
She didn't think to harm me
We thought to return early that night
Mean
Have a specified degree of importance;
My ex-husband means nothing to me
Happiness means everything
Mean
Intend to refer to;
I'm thinking of good food when I talk about France
Yes, I meant you when I complained about people who gossip!
Mean
Destine or designate for a certain purpose;
These flowers were meant for you
Mean
Approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value;
The average income in New England is below that of the nation
Of average height for his age
The mean annual rainfall
Mean
Characterized by malice;
A hateful thing to do
In a mean mood
Mean
Having or showing an ignoble lack of honor or morality;
That liberal obedience without which your army would be a base rabble
Taking a mean advantage
Chok'd with ambition of the meaner sort
Something essentially vulgar and meanspirited in politics
Mean
Excellent;
Famous for a mean backhand
Mean
Marked by poverty befitting a beggar;
A beggarly existence in the slums
A mean hut
Mean
Used of persons or behavior; characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity;
A mean person
He left a miserly tip
Mean
Used of sums of money; so small in amount as to deserve contempt
Common Curiosities
Is spitefulness always linked to revenge?
Spitefulness often includes a desire for revenge or to see others suffer.
Are mean people always spiteful?
Not necessarily; a person can be mean due to personality traits but not hold specific grudges.
Can a person be mean but not spiteful?
Yes, someone can be mean without intending to harm anyone deliberately.
Are mean comments always offensive?
Mean comments can be offensive or simply inconsiderate without direct intent to harm.
Can a mean attitude affect workplace morale?
Yes, mean behavior can create a toxic work environment, lowering overall morale.
How can one deal with a mean person?
Setting boundaries and maintaining calm are effective strategies for managing mean behavior.
Can spitefulness be hidden behind politeness?
Yes, some people can be spiteful subtly through passive-aggressive behavior.
Are people naturally spiteful?
Spitefulness isn't innate; it's often a result of experiences and learned behavior.
Do mean actions always involve deliberate cruelty?
Mean actions can be a result of thoughtlessness or frustration, not necessarily deliberate cruelty.
Can spiteful behavior be a response to hurt?
Yes, spiteful actions often arise from feelings of betrayal or being wronged.
Can being mean sometimes have a positive outcome?
Mean actions may sometimes lead to necessary confrontations or changes, but the approach should still consider others' feelings.
Do spiteful acts always have significant consequences?
Not necessarily, but repeated spiteful acts can lead to strained personal and professional relationships.
How does spitefulness impact relationships?
Spiteful behavior creates distrust and can irreparably damage relationships.
Is spitefulness a learned behavior?
Spitefulness can be learned through negative past experiences or social environments.
Is being mean forgivable in certain situations?
It depends on the context and severity of the meanness, but sincere apologies can help resolve conflicts.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Dome vs. CupolaNext Comparison
Facebook vs. MySpaceAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat