SPITE     ['thig pa]
What is spite?  It is a vindictive attitude preceded by indignation and resentment forming part of anger, and its function is to become the basis for harsh and strong words, to increase what is not meritorious, and not to allow one to feel happy.
-Abhidharmasamuccaya
It is the urge to use harsh words of disagreement due to anger and resentment when others raise one's shortcomings, because one has no intention to make a clean break with evil and get it out of one's system.

Concerning this, the Pancaskandhaprakarana explains 'revile by harsh words' to mean 'to ridicule'.  But the Abhidharmakosavyakhya explains that spite originates from believing vice to be virtuous and from overevaluating ideas.  By these one plunges into many evil actions such as speaking harsh words.  Many non-meritorious situations are generated so that in this life one cannot feel happy and, in the next one, unpleasant results are brought about.