as in malice
the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm
her political commentary seems to be nothing more than an exercise in hatefulness and vicious invective
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 hatefulness
Comment sections have always attracted hatefulness and resentment; these ones just happen to encourage it more explicitly.
—
Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hatefulness
Noun
-
Nevermind that this is obviously the work of someone acting deliberately, stealthily and with obvious malice – not a drunk stumbling into their homes.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The appeals court ruled that Miller provided evidence that, on its face, shows malice because Walters' accusations were unfounded.—
Dale Denwalt,
Oklahoman,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Your hatred of our governor has blinded your ability to be balanced, fair or accurate.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Feb. 2026
-
There’s no hatred, no resentment, no real rivalry to speak of, beyond the unquenchable fire that drives every great athlete.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Anti-Israel letter writers might want to direct their venom at the brutality that’s going on in Syria at the present time.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Then their own mother turned venom against them, the object of their wounding telling them that the shape of their wounds was never really there.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Observing human behavior confirms that for some among us, the perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
An animal cruelty investigation involving two dogs has ignited outrage on social media, after photos revealed the pets were tethered and abandoned during Charlotte’s weekend snow storm.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hatefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hatefulness. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
