Nov 11, 2026 · 20 min
English distinguishes spite from simple persistence
AEE 2720: Are You Spiteful? How to Discuss Revenge in English
The episode gives learners precise ways to discuss revenge, mean-spirited behavior, and the very different meaning of “in spite of.”
- 1“Out of spite” describes an action meant to hurt, annoy, or upset someone, while “to spite” names the act itself.
- 2“Spiteful” and “vindictive” describe mean-spirited behavior that the hosts frame as immature and uncommon among emotionally mature adults.
- 3“In spite of” means “despite,” separating a common grammatical phrase from revenge-related uses of spite.
Don't miss
The workplace role-play turns abstract definitions into a concrete scenario about quitting to spite a boss and making emotional career decisions.
The brief
Lindsay McMahon and Aubrey Carter open with a childhood story about toilet-papering a house out of spite, then use it to introduce revenge-related vocabulary.
The hosts distinguish “out of spite” from “to spite,” showing how both describe actions intended to hurt, annoy, exclude, or upset someone.
“Spiteful” and “vindictive” extend the discussion from grammar to character, framing revenge-driven behavior as mean-spirited and emotionally immature.
The key linguistic turn is “in spite of,” which means “despite” or “even though,” not an act of revenge or hostility.
A workplace role-play follows a colleague who quits to spite her boss, using several forms of the word before cautioning against emotional career decisions.
The episode closes by reviewing the vocabulary and contrasting spiteful choices with the more neutral meaning of “in spite of.”
Books & mentions
Dicey English vocabulary for precarious situations
It extends the show’s practical vocabulary approach to another emotionally and situationally charged topic.
Weekly email
State of the Pod, every Monday
The week's most-discussed names and stories from podcasts, with the moments behind them. Free, five minutes, unsubscribe in one click.