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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of hatefulness
Trump’s narcissistic obsession with the place, together with the miasmic hatefulness of his words and actions, has caused artists to flee en masse.
—
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2026
Comment sections have always attracted hatefulness and resentment; these ones just happen to encourage it more explicitly.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2026
Comment sections have always attracted hatefulness and resentment; these ones just happen to encourage it more explicitly.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hatefulness
Noun
-
Coel bites into the acerbic bitterness of that history in their early exchanges, with a vein of malice in questions supposedly intended to reveal who Mary has become and hence what kind of dress will feel true to her.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Trump’s suit failed to establish actual malice, the judge ruled.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Here was a player who had without doubt suffered more abuse and more taunts and more hatred than any player in the history of the game.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Well, maybe that hatred of losing — truly not accepting it, and confronting others who are OK with it — is the pathway to winning.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The injured party should not apply a tourniquet, apply ice, try to suck out the venom or cut the wound, the agency warned.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The two alternate versions of each other trade insults, but Spidey Miles charges up an electric venom shock and frees himself.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In more serious cases where a pet is badly harmed or dies, prosecutors can pursue a felony animal cruelty charge.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The scrutiny of fame has always been dehumanizing, though the ubiquity of the modern-day comment section has surely accelerated and exaggerated its cruelty.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hatefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hatefulness. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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