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

The camp hatred of Barney is really a leftover 1960s counterculture jape. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 24 Jan. 2026

Someone that was so divisive and creating content that was purely based on hatred. —Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026

In the same collections of letters and other writing that record his intense hatred, there are also plenty of tender comments about his homeland. —Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026

The text lays bare the grim conditions under which Black people lived, detailing the hatred and bigotry they were confronted with every single waking second. —Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 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