Vindictiveness is an eagerness to hurt those who have wronged you. Pure vindictiveness, a streak of vindictiveness, out of vindictiveness.
It differs from anger by lasting, since vindictiveness is the settled wish to see somebody suffer. It is a common accusation in disputes about custody, sentencing and estates.
1nounvindictivenessAn eagerness to hurt those who have wronged you.
“Out of pure vindictiveness, he told her boss about her mistake.”
vindictiveness is a spite.
From vindictive, from Latin vindicta, revenge, from vindicare, to avenge.
Latin
vindicta — vengeance
English
vindictive
English, today
vindictiveness
From vindictive + ness. vindictive comes from Latin vindicta (“vengeance”) + -ive. Contrast Latin vindicātīvus.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA