hateful

1 of 2

adjective

hate·​ful ˈhāt-fəl 

1

: full of hate : malicious

2

: deserving of or arousing hate

hatefully

ˈhāt-fə-lē 

adverb

hatefulness noun

hatefulness

2 of 2

noun

hate·​ful·​ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being hateful

Synonyms of hateful

Adjective

• malicious
• vicious
• cruel
• nasty

Examples of hateful in a Sentence

Adjective

the girl's classmates were bullying her online, sending her hateful e-mails and text messages

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Mary Petchlikoff, 69, of Dearborn, recalls mobilizing on 9/11 to help protect Muslim students who were starting to receive some hateful harassment. — Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 12 Sep. 2026

Some critics predicted Mohammed would use a trial as a platform to spread hateful views of America and its allies. — ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026

Yes, Goebbels’ language was certainly hateful, but no thinking person read such stuff. — Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026

The challenge for safety leaders is figuring out what is a threat and what is someone just expressing hateful views. — Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

First Known Use

Adjective

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