to spite

USAGE SUMMARY

"to spite" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate that someone is acting in a way to cause annoyance or to intentionally cause harm to someone else. Example: She spread lies about her ex-boyfriend to spite him.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

"He invited Ahmadinejad to spite the Americans".

The New York Times

Sing, and win to spite them all.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Then again, some behavior is clearly meant to spite.

The New York Times

But that's cutting off your nose to spite your face.

The Guardian

They'd lop off the nose to spite the face.

The New Yorker

To spite her, I order a scuppernong champagne.

The New Yorker

It's like cutting off your nose to spite your face".

The New York Times

"They are cutting their nose off to spite their face".

The New York Times

It's cutting off your nose to spite your face".

The Guardian

Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Independent

The second-half performance was one to spite me.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "to spite", ensure the context clearly indicates the intention to annoy, harm, or frustrate someone. The action should be directly linked to a desire to cause discomfort or negative consequences for the target.

Common error

Avoid using "to spite" when the intent is merely to express disagreement or mild annoyance. The phrase implies a significant degree of malice or vengefulness, so using it in weaker contexts can overstate the emotional intensity of the situation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "to spite" functions as an infinitive of purpose, indicating the reason or intention behind an action. As Ludwig AI confirms, it highlights that someone is acting to cause annoyance or harm. The examples from Ludwig show its usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "to spite" is a common phrase used to express the intention behind an action aimed at causing annoyance, harm, or frustration. As Ludwig AI confirms, its grammatical status is correct and the phrase is widely used, particularly in News & Media. While alternatives like "out of spite" or "to vex" exist, "to spite" provides a clear and direct way to convey the intention of causing displeasure. When using "to spite", it's important to ensure the context aligns with the strong negative intent it implies.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

out of spite

This alternative phrases the intent as a motive but maintains the same meaning, making it highly interchangeable with "to spite".

to do something spitefully

This version uses an adverb to describe the manner of action, highlighting the maliciousness but changing the grammatical structure.

to get back at

This phrase explicitly implies retaliation, which may not always be present in actions done "to spite".

to antagonize

Implies actively causing someone to become hostile, a more aggressive stance than simply acting "to spite".

to act vengefully

This alternative focuses on seeking revenge, adding a layer of retribution that is not always present when acting "to spite".

to vex

This alternative focuses on causing annoyance or irritation, differing from "to spite" which implies a stronger intent to harm or frustrate.

to provoke

This suggests inciting a reaction, which may or may not involve the same level of malice as "to spite".

to irritate

Similar to "to vex", this emphasizes causing mild annoyance, lacking the malicious intent often associated with "to spite".

to defy

Suggests open resistance or disobedience, differing from "to spite" which can be more subtle and indirect.

to displease

Focuses on causing dissatisfaction, lacking the element of malicious intent inherent in "to spite".

FAQs

How do I use "to spite" in a sentence?

Use "to spite" to indicate that someone is doing something with the intention of annoying, harming, or frustrating another person. For example, "She refused to sell her house "to spite" her neighbor" shows a clear intention to cause annoyance.

What are some alternatives to "to spite"?

You can use alternatives like "out of spite", "to vex", or "to antagonize" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "doing something for spite"?

While grammatically understandable, it's more common and natural to say "doing something out of spite" or "doing something "to spite" someone".

What's the difference between "to spite" and "to defy"?

"To spite" implies an intention to annoy or harm, while "to defy" means to openly resist or disobey. Although defiance can sometimes be a form of spiting, they are not interchangeable in all contexts.