HATEFUL Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

hateful

adjective

ˈhāt-fəl

Definition of hateful

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

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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 But arguably the script by Jones and director Brunner might have been a skoosh more impactful if the small-minded townsfolk, clearly coded as bigoted MAGA types, weren’t quite so hateful with only a few exceptions. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026 When Rodrigo, Perry, Grande, and Kahan made public comments, spokespeople for the White House used the opportunity to spread hateful rhetoric. — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2026 Without human oversight, AI can end up penalizing the very communities most vulnerable to the hateful content the systems are designed to combat. — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2026 Yet, this hateful dangerous man remained on the loose and soon killed my mother. — Rachel Sales, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hateful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hateful

Adjective

Strong antivirus software can help warn you about malicious downloads or suspicious websites.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Radha had always believed that the world was evil and people malicious.

— Akhil Sharma, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of malicious

Adjective

These shortages increase costs and a vicious cycle for folks who need a rung.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
Nobody comes off well; if anything, the snooty German Jews almost seem more vicious than the right-wing plotters, who are presented as mercenary and power-hungry rather than ideological.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of vicious

Adjective

Like her, Americans are also so tired of being screwed by an administration that’s not only grossly incompetent and cruel but corrupt as well.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
Rather than heroic, these costly and horribly uncertain stunts come across callous and cruel.

— Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of cruel

Adjective

Those tempers were not helped by the nasty collision between Guehi and Veiga just before the break, as the Englishman clattered into the midfielder in attempt to head the ball away.

— Thom Harris, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
His nasty spirit comes unstuck from the grave when Antonia, the brown-haired Millennial witch, works a wonky raise-the-dead spell directed at her late great aunt.

— Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of nasty

Browse Nearby Words

hated

hateful

hatefully

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“Hateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hateful. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of hateful

adjective

Example Sentences

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