hateful

adjective

hate·​ful ˈhāt-fəl How to pronounce hateful (audio)
Synonyms of hatefulnext
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.
On Monday, the mayors of Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County – both Jewish – publicly demanded accountability and called the incident hateful and unacceptable. Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026 His new one tells the story of a young woman sent from the afterlife to guide a hateful oil baron through the process of dying — and what comes next. Michael Schaub, Oc Register, 16 Jan. 2026 Increasingly common, but not commonplace Greller describes threats and hateful rhetoric as a big problem that's becoming more frequent, but not commonplace. Cate Charron, IndyStar, 15 Jan. 2026 Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, McGraw blamed Trump for the hateful messages that WNBA players receive. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 15 Jan. 2026 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 28 Jan. 2026.

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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