hateful

adjective

hate·​ful ˈhāt-fəl 

1

: full of hate : malicious

2

: deserving of or arousing hate

hatefully

ˈhāt-fə-lē 

adverb

hatefulness noun

Synonyms of hateful

• malicious
• vicious
• cruel
• nasty

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

The league's anti-hate committee was formed last year to deal with hateful and abusive online comments directed at players and the league. — S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

But arguably the script by Jones and director Brunner might have been a skoosh more impactful if the small-minded townsfolk, clearly coded as bigoted MAGA types, weren’t quite so hateful with only a few exceptions. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026

When Rodrigo, Perry, Grande, and Kahan made public comments, spokespeople for the White House used the opportunity to spread hateful rhetoric. — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2026

Yet, this hateful dangerous man remained on the loose and soon killed my mother. — Rachel Sales, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026

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

Rhymes for hateful

• ungrateful
• fateful
• grateful

Kids Definition

hateful

adjective

hate·​ful ˈhāt-fəl 

1

: full of hate : malicious

hateful enemies

2

: causing or deserving hate

a hateful crime

hatefully

-fə-lē 

adverb

hatefulness noun