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  What it means

  Literally “for spite” or “out of anger,” this expression means to do something deliberately to annoy, provoke, or defy someone. It captures the very human impulse to act contrary to what another person wants, purely to get under their skin. The famous Polish saying “Na złość mamie odmrożę sobie uszy” (To spite mom, I’ll freeze my ears off) captures the self-defeating logic of acting out of spite.

  Vocabulary

  • złość — spite, anger, rage
  • na złość — out of spite, to spite someone
  • złościć się — to be angry, to get angry
  • na złość komuś — to spite someone, to do something just to annoy someone

  Grammar note

  'Na' + accusative: 'złość' is accusative singular (feminine noun ending in a consonant). The phrase 'na złość komuś' adds a dative to indicate who is being spited. Note the related adjective 'złośliwy' (spiteful, malicious) and noun 'złośliwość' (malice, spite).

  Cultural context

  The phrase is informal and emotionally expressive. The fixed saying 'Na złość mamie odmrożę sobie uszy' is a well-known cultural reference used humorously to describe self-destructive stubbornness — cutting off your nose to spite your face. It is used in both serious and comedic contexts and appears frequently in everyday conversation.

  Beginner

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