meanness
Unkindness as trait
Meanness is the quality of being unkind, spiteful, or cruel: I was shocked by the meanness of her remarks.
It can also refer to stinginess—unwillingness to spend or share: His meanness with money was legendary.
An older sense describes low quality or humble station: the meanness of their accommodations.
Savage, merciless behavior
- sadismPleasure from inflicting pain
- inhumanityExtreme cruelty toward others
- barbaritySavage or cruel behavior
- heartlessnessLack of compassion
callousness · viciousness · ruthlessness · mercilessness · pitilessness · cold-bloodedness · harshness · nastiness
Excessive reluctance to spend
- parsimonyExcessive frugality with resources
- tightfistednessExtreme reluctance to spend
- cheapnessLow price quality
- penny-pinchingExtreme reluctance to spend
hoarding · ungenerous · grudging · scrimping · withholding · selfishness · greed · avarice
Petty malicious intent
- vindictivenessDisposition toward retaliation
- malevolenceActive ill will
- ill-willHostile or unkind feeling
- hostilityAntagonistic disposition toward others
animosity · enmity · hatred · venom · maliciousness · spitefulness · vengefulness · scheming
Limited, ungenerous perspective
- nitpickingExcessive focus on trivialities
- quibblingPetty objection-raising
- fussinessExcessive concern over trivialities
- cattinessSpiteful, sly nastiness
snark · belittling · hair-splitting · trivializing · narrow-mindedness · jealousy · envy · gossip
Bitter ill will
- resentmentPersistent bitter displeasure
- rancorLasting bitter resentment
- sournessAcidic taste quality
- ill-temperHabitual sour disposition
surliness · irritability · grumpiness · testiness · acerbity · snappishness · crossness · peevishness
brutality
Savage, merciless behavior
- sadismPleasure from inflicting pain
- inhumanityExtreme cruelty toward others
- barbaritySavage or cruel behavior
heartlessness · callousness · viciousness · ruthlessness · mercilessness · pitilessness · cold-bloodedness · harshness · nastiness · unkindness
miserliness
Excessive reluctance to spend
- parsimonyExcessive frugality with resources
- tightfistednessExtreme reluctance to spend
- cheapnessLow price quality
penny-pinching · hoarding · ungenerous · grudging · scrimping · withholding · selfishness · greed · avarice · close-fisted
spite
Petty malicious intent
- vindictivenessDisposition toward retaliation
- malevolenceActive ill will
- ill-willHostile or unkind feeling
hostility · animosity · enmity · hatred · venom · maliciousness · spitefulness · vengefulness · scheming · treachery
small-mindedness
Limited, ungenerous perspective
- nitpickingExcessive focus on trivialities
- quibblingPetty objection-raising
- fussinessExcessive concern over trivialities
cattiness · snark · belittling · hair-splitting · trivializing · narrow-mindedness · jealousy · envy · gossip · sniping
acrimony
Bitter ill will
- resentmentPersistent bitter displeasure
- rancorLasting bitter resentment
- sournessAcidic taste quality
ill-temper · surliness · irritability · grumpiness · testiness · acerbity · snappishness · crossness · peevishness · disagreeableness
- bad attitudesnegativity, cynicism, pessimism, hostility, contempt
- bad traitsrudeness, cruelty, dishonesty, hostility, nastiness
- petty behaviorsspite, malice, nastiness, bitterness, resentment
- harshnessseverity, roughness, sternness, sharpness, hardness
- ethicsmorality, deontology, dignity, sanctity of life, utilitarianism
- crueltycruelty, brutality, inhumanity, viciousness, ruthlessness
meannessgenerosity
Readiness to give freely
liberality · largesse · open-handedness · munificence · largeheartedness
meannesskindness
Considerate, caring disposition
compassion · gentleness · benevolence · tenderness · warmth
meannessnobility
Titled ruling class
nobleness · magnanimity · greatness · worthiness · largeheartedness