Translation guide
The feeling of wanting to hurt or annoy someone, often because of anger or resentment. In Japanese, this concept is expressed through nouns, adjectives, and verbs that convey malicious intent, ill will, or acting out of spite.
Expressing the general feeling of wanting to harm or annoy someone out of resentment.
The most direct and common translation for 'spite' as a noun. It means 'malice' or 'ill will'.
彼は悪意からそんなことを言った。
He said that out of spite.
Often used as an adjective (意地悪な) meaning 'mean-spirited' or 'spiteful'. It implies a petty, malicious attitude.
彼女は意地悪で嘘をついた。
She told a lie out of spite.
Means 'grudge' or 'resentment'. It is often the underlying emotion that leads to spiteful actions.
恨みから彼を傷つけた。
He hurt him out of spite.
Describing actions done specifically to hurt or annoy someone.
An adverb meaning 'on purpose' or 'deliberately'. Often used to describe spiteful actions when combined with context.
彼はわざと私を無視した。
He ignored me out of spite.
The adverbial form of 意地悪, meaning 'out of spite' or 'meanly'.
意地悪で秘密をばらした。
He revealed the secret out of spite.
Means 'in retaliation' or 'to vent one's anger'. It implies doing something spiteful as a way to relieve frustration.
腹いせに彼の本を捨てた。
I threw away his book out of spite.
Describing a person who is habitually spiteful or mean.
A common way to describe a spiteful or mean person.
彼は本当に意地悪な人だ。
He is a really spiteful person.
An idiomatic phrase meaning 'to have a bad nature' or 'to be mean-spirited'. It describes someone's inherent spitefulness.
あの人は根性が悪い。
That person is spiteful.
Expressing the idea of doing something regardless of obstacles or contrary circumstances. This is a different sense of 'spite' used in the phrase 'in spite of'.
A formal pattern meaning 'in spite of' or 'despite'. Used after nouns or the dictionary form of verbs/adjectives.
雨にもかかわらず、出かけた。
In spite of the rain, I went out.
A more casual pattern meaning 'even though' or 'despite'. Used after verbs and adjectives in their plain form.
雨が降っているのに、出かけた。
In spite of the rain, I went out.
Avoid directly translating 'spite' as a standalone noun in many contexts. Japanese often uses adverbial phrases like わざと or 意地悪で to express the manner of an action done out of spite.
悪意 is a more formal and serious term for 'malice', often used in legal or psychological contexts. 意地悪 is more colloquial and describes petty, mean-spirited behavior in daily life.