hate

1 of 2

noun

ˈhāt 

1

a

: intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury

b

: extreme dislike or disgust : antipathy, loathing

had a great hate of hard work

c

: a systematic and especially politically exploited expression of hatred

a crime motivated by bigotry and hate

—often used before another noun

hate mail

an organization tracking hate groups

see also hate crime

2

: an object of hatred

a generation whose finest hate had been big business

—F. L. Paxson

hate

2 of 2

verb

hated; hating

transitive verb

1

: to feel extreme enmity toward : to regard with active hostility

hates his country's enemies

2

: to have a strong aversion to : find very distasteful

hated to have to meet strangers

hate hypocrisy

intransitive verb

: to express or feel extreme enmity or active hostility

harsh faces and hating eyes

—Katherine A. Porter

Phrases

hate one's guts

: to hate someone with great intensity

Synonyms

Noun

• abhorrence
• abomination
• detestation
• execration
• hatred
• loathing

Verb

• abhor
• abominate
• despise
• detest
• execrate
• loathe

Choose the Right Synonym for hate

hate, detest, abhor, abominate, loathe mean to feel strong aversion or intense dislike for.

hate implies an emotional aversion often coupled with enmity or malice.

hated the enemy with a passion

detest suggests violent antipathy.

detests cowards

abhor implies a deep often shuddering repugnance.

a crime abhorred by all

abominate suggests strong detestation and often moral condemnation.

abominates all forms of violence

loathe implies utter disgust and intolerance.

loathed the mere sight of them

Examples of hate in a Sentence

Noun

These crimes are motivated by prejudice and hate.

They have been unable to overcome their hates and fears.

Verb

He was a cruel tyrant who was hated and feared by his people.

She hated them for betraying her.

They were political rivals who truly hated each other.

What is it that you hate about him most?

children whose families have taught them to hate

They hate being apart from each other.

I hate the idea of leaving my mother alone all week.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Sabrina Carpenter is too busy of a woman to take the hate to heart. —Michelle Lee, People.com, 9 May 2025

Many of the comments from her supporters celebrate and justify her hate. —Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025

Verb

Aside: Her daughters, when young, hated when the former Vogue fashion editor reached for leggings. —Jackie Fields, People.com, 12 May 2025

While Monty loves to run around in the rain, Sam hates getting wet, avoiding the water at all costs. —Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, probably derivative of haten "to hate entry 2," replacing hete "hate, hatred," going back to Old English, going back to Germanic *hatiz- (whence, also inflected as an i-stem as in Old English, Old Saxon heti "hatred," and, inflected as a neuter strong noun, Old Norse hatr "hatred, spite" and Gothic hatis "anger, enmity"), perhaps going back to Indo-European *ḱh₂d-es-, derivative of a base *ḱeh₂d- "grief, pain, hatred," whence, with different ablaut grades and suffixation, Oscan cadeis (genitive singular) "ill will," Middle Irish cais "love, hatred," Old Welsh cás "bitterness, hatred" (Celtic from a derivative *ḱh₂d-ti-), Greek kêdos (neuter) "care, grief, (in plural) funeral rites, mourning, connection by marriage," Avestan sādra- "grief, pain, calamity"

Note: Though this Indo-European etymon is generally accepted in etymological dictionaries of the relevant older languages, the semantic relations are far from transparent, in particular the relation between "grief, mourning, care" (Greek, Iranian) and "hatred" (Germanic, Italic, and Celtic, though the ambiguity of the Irish word is peculiar).

Verb

Middle English haten, going back to Old English hatian, going back to Germanic *hatōjan- (whence Old Saxon haton "to hate," Old High German hazzōn, Old Norse hata,), derivative from the base of *hatiz- hate entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing hate

• hate crime
• hate mail
• hate-mongering
• hate one's guts
• hate someone's guts
• hate speech
• hate-watch
• love-hate
• love-hate relationship
• pet hate
• self-hate

Rhymes for hate

• ate
• bait
• bate
• cate
• crate
• date
• eight
• fait
• fate
• fete
• frate
• freight

Kids Definition

hate

1 of 2 noun

ˈhāt 

1

: strong dislike

2

: something or someone that is hated

hate

2 of 2 verb

hated; hating

1

: to feel strong dislike toward

hates his country's enemies

2

a

: to have a strong feeling of disgust for

hate hypocrisy

b

: to find distasteful : dislike

hates cold weather

hater noun