Vindictive means having a strong desire to get revenge or to hurt someone who has hurt you. A vindictive person doesn't just feel angry when wronged: they actively want to punish the person who upset them, often going out of their way to cause harm in return.

Imagine two students who have a disagreement. One might feel hurt and angry but eventually move on. A vindictive student, however, might spend days plotting ways to embarrass or hurt the other person, looking for chances to get even. When someone accidentally bumps into you in the hallway, you might feel annoyed. But if you were vindictive, you'd look for ways to bump them back or get them in trouble on purpose.

The word carries a harsh quality. It suggests someone is driven by spite and grudges rather than fairness or moving forward. A vindictive person often holds onto anger long after others have forgotten what happened. They might refuse to forgive even small mistakes.

You might hear someone describe a character in a book as vindictive if that character seeks elaborate revenge for every slight. Or you might hear that a certain policy or punishment seems vindictive because it goes beyond what's fair or necessary, designed more to hurt than to solve a problem.