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The dynamic I match it to is "being mean for its own sake, to a specific individual, over an extended period of time, in an environment where they can't get away from their tormentor(s)." The social equivalent of a cat playing with a mouse it's caught.
N=1 for this interpretation, and it may not be quite necessary or sufficient even by my own lights.
Edit: A more succinct definition might be: "Bullying: persistent, targeted cruelty."
Thanks! That accords with what people have said and with reason better than the former reigning champion.
Sorry for delay; was at a wedding. When I start typing comments on my phone the submit button disappears, so I can only comment from my computer, and I'm trying to avoid thumbs until they fix the asymmetry.