hatred

noun

ha·​tred ˈhā-trəd 

1

: extreme dislike or disgust : hate

2

: ill will or resentment that is usually mutual : prejudiced hostility or animosity

… old racial prejudices and national hatreds …

—Peter Thomson

Synonyms of hatred

• contempt
• hate
• distaste
• disdain
• loathing
• abhorrence
• detestation
• hostility
• spite
• abomination
• disgust

Examples of hatred in a Sentence

He had an irrational fear and hatred of foreigners.

She makes no attempt to conceal her hatred for her opponents.

This troubled city is filled with hatred, prejudice, crime, and fear.

The war was fueled by hatreds that were centuries old.

Recent Examples on the Web

Monday showed why the Middle East’s generational hatreds are so often treacherous for American presidents. —Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 2 June 2026

More deeply, San Diego’s Muslims have been puzzling over the roots of the hatred that sent two young men into a holy place with the intent to commit mass murder. —Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026

There is a kind of morbid curiosity to watching the internet spiral into hatred. —Lyz Lenz, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2026

There is no kind of treatment that’s going to get rid of this body dysmorphia and hatred toward your body. —Louis Staples, Glamour, 27 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hatrede, from hate hate entry 1 + -rede, suffix denoting state or quality, going back to Old English -rǣden — more at kindred entry 2

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hatred

• self-hatred

Kids Definition

hatred

noun

ha·​tred ˈhā-trəd 

: hate entry 1 sense 1