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

Bartos argues the gathering codified radical anti-Western hatred, antisemitism, and anti-American sentiment, birth-place to the BDS movement. — Staff, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Scholars and intellectuals have long argued that the rejection and hatred of Haitians by some sections of Dominican society are actually a rejection of the Blackness that Haitian identity and culture represents. — Kendall Medford, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026

According to Botner’s testimony, Flynn frequently expressed hatred for his wife. — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026

One essential reform, some observers say, is to reject parts of the official curriculum that glorify violence and ethnically or religiously based hatred. — The Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 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