Yes, VINDICTIVE is a Scrabble word!

Definition: 1) vengeful; desiring to get revenge on someone or something, or 2) the intention to act in a spiteful manner, or cause hurt or harm

In spite of having a rather formal, legalese sound, the word “vindictive” still enjoys a healthy popularity in contemporary English, and probably appears more in speech and print than its counterpart, “vengeful.”

According to the dictionary, “vindictive” didn’t appear in mainstream English until sometime during the 15th century, which is rather surprising, considering that back in those days, with all the squabbles over property and land ownership there was quite a lot to be vindictive about. It was probably taken from the Latin word “vindicative,” although, in its original form, this word referred more to something punitive rather than vengeful or cruel. Thanks to the popularity of “revenge posts” on social media, today we probably hear the word “vindictive” a lot more than our parents or grandparents did.

Ways to use VINDICTIVE in a sentence:

• Keying her Toyota after the office meeting was a truly vindictive act.
• My dog acts in a vindictive way after we take him to the vet.
• It was really vindictive of her to try to poison her boss like that.