hateful

adjective

hate·​ful ˈhāt-fəl How to pronounce hateful (audio)
1
: full of hate : malicious
2
: deserving of or arousing hate
hatefully adverb
hatefulness noun

Examples of hateful in a Sentence

the girl's classmates were bullying her online, sending her hateful e-mails and text messages
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
YouTube videos posted from an account linked to Westman show a cache of weapons with racist, homophobic, antisemitic and hateful language against Muslims and other minority groups. John Bacon, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025 But what Grossenbach viewed as an exercise of religious beliefs was seen by others as hateful and terroristic. Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2025 Tuesday’s alert is the latest in what’s been a string of hateful defacements this summer. Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025 How did a show about making out make fans so hateful? Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hateful

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from hate hate entry 1 + -ful -ful entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hateful was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hateful. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

hateful

adjective
hate·​ful ˈhāt-fəl How to pronounce hateful (audio)
1
: full of hate : malicious
hateful enemies
2
: causing or deserving hate
a hateful crime
hatefully adverb
hatefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hateful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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