as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
the girl's classmates were bullying her online, sending her hateful e-mails and text messages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of hateful
In recent years, Brazil has become increasingly fragmented, amplified by a widespread subscription to hateful doctrines, culture wars, anti-intellectualism, disinformation on social media, apocalyptic messaging, doomsday conspiracy theories, and ethno-religious identity politics.
—
Emi Eleode, Time, 14 July 2025
The women were subjected to hateful, racist and misogynistic threats and feared they might be harmed by online anonymous thugs.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 11 July 2025
His otherwise incomparable legacy will forever be stained by his hateful remarks about Black people.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Late in the episode, Cartman calls off his suicide attempt after Butters helps convince him that there’s always hope for a return to the world where Cartman’s hateful trollery will again be a minority voice pushing back against the mainstream.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hateful
Emi Eleode, Time, 14 July 2025
The women were subjected to hateful, racist and misogynistic threats and feared they might be harmed by online anonymous thugs.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 11 July 2025
His otherwise incomparable legacy will forever be stained by his hateful remarks about Black people.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Late in the episode, Cartman calls off his suicide attempt after Butters helps convince him that there’s always hope for a return to the world where Cartman’s hateful trollery will again be a minority voice pushing back against the mainstream.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hateful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hateful
Adjective
-
Accessing the code prompts recipients to provide personal and financial information, or can lead to downloading malicious software.—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Victims are then defrauded again, with more money lost to these malicious recovery schemes.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Feeling profoundly betrayed and abandoned by David, Rebecca’s loyalty lies with the vicious and conniving Juno, the only family she’s known for the last decade.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Nothing could possibly go wrong with all the vicious alien specimens on board, right?—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
That is a particularly egregious example of how the Trump Administration has been gratuitously cruel to the Sudanese.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Stacy, Tim’s wife, also died of pancreatic cancer five months later in February of 2024, a cruel hand for a family that for years had gone above and beyond in their efforts to raise money and awareness for cancer research.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Whereas the Star Wars sequels woefully misused the actor's talents, this movie puts them center stage, playing one of the teen hoodlums who join forces with their victim to fight off nasty, otherworldly invaders.—
Chris Snellgrove,
EW.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Things could be reversed if prompt actions are taken to get vaccination rates back up again before the different nasty microbes can spread too far in the U.S. population.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
10 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hateful. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share