The word 'spiteful' is a relatively modern English formation, combining the noun 'spite' with the adjectival suffix '-ful'. The core element, 'spite', entered English via Anglo-Norman and Old French, tracing back to the Latin verb 'despicere', meaning 'to look down on'. This literal act of looking down evolved metaphorically into feelings of contempt and a desire to hurt or annoy. By adding the native English suffix '-ful', meaning 'full of', the word directly describes a person or action characterized by or filled with this malicious contempt.

Structure: spite (malice) + ful (full of) "spite" originates from the Old French word 'despit' (contempt, scorn), which came from Latin 'despectus' (a looking down on, contempt). "ful" is a suffix of Old English origin, meaning 'full of' or 'characterized by'.