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
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In June 2024, Bryant was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, kidnapping and misdemeanor false report of a crime.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
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Actual malice is the legal standard by which courts determine if someone is liable for libel.—
Keely Bastow,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Soros’ announcement did not say how the foundations will define antisemitism — a point of contention on college campuses and in state legislatures where debates have raged over whether criticism of Israel amounts to hatred of Jewish people.—
James Pollard,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
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The movie thus offers a complaint about the end results of Putinism, not about the ideas—the emotions, the enthusiasms, the resentments, the hatreds—that brought it about.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
Noun
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When picturing a predator, most people envision an animal with immense speed, sharp teeth or deadly venom.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
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Some people have an allergic reaction to the venom.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 May 2026
Noun
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Her staging of Schiaparelli’s work exposes illusion, cost, and cruelty.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
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That’s the charm and cruelty of the NBA Draft Lottery.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hatefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hatefulness. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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