hates 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of hate
as in despises
to dislike strongly she hates her job, she hates her friends, and she hates her life!

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hates

2 of 2

noun

plural of hate
as in enemies
something or someone that is hated the Alaska pipeline is a pet hate of environmentalists

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 hates
Verb
Lacey hates this idea, but the group decides to go with showing mercy this time around. — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026 Everyone hates lousy officiating—and some of the calls in this World Cup have been infuriatingly lousy. — Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026 What William rather surprisingly revealed, though, is that his father—King Charles—hates soccer. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 3 July 2026 Lulu, an 80-pound Bernedoodle, hates Independence Day. — Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, 27 June 2026 There’s this dynamic early on in the film where the audience, seeing things from Jessie’s perspective, really hates Lily and look at her as a villain. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 22 June 2026 Everybody hates Israel because of this. — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 19 June 2026 My father hates the clickers, all of them, without exception. — Literary Hub, 17 June 2026 Mami hates my mullet, truly detests it. — Joseph Trinidad, Longreads, 16 June 2026
Noun
On the April 14 episode of the Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club podcast, the bestselling author, whose debut adult romantasy novel Starside hit shelves on March 31, spoke with journalist Danielle Robay about all things writing — including her romance genre loves and hates. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hates
  1. despises
  2. enemies
  3. phobias
  4. abominations
  5. adversaries
Verb
  • Though Brigitta despises him, Maria shelters him.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
  • This brief funk is broken when Clay comes home to find his mother — who, like everyone else in their backwoods local area, despises their stunts — watching an old movie on TV.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of despises
Noun
  • My own team’s research has shown that mycorrhizal fungi can alter chemicals released by plants in ways that are useful for repelling insects while attracting pollinators and insects’ natural enemies.
    — Esther Ndumi Ngumbi, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
  • The Founding Fathers attacked their enemies in the papers, spreading lies to incite the public against their opponents.
    — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of enemies
Noun
  • Left untreated, anxiety in dogs tends to escalate into phobias, which are far harder to address.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
  • Are people with extreme anxiety and phobias dangerous to the people around them?
    — Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
Definition of phobias
Noun
  • As the representative for the armed wing of a human empire, you're tasked with subduing these Lovecraftian abominations and securing a foothold for humanity on alien worlds.
    — Alan Bradley, Space.com, 5 Jan. 2026
  • The Succession Wars took a much darker turn thanks to the development of not just Battlemechs but of horrible flesh and steel monsters called abominations.
    — Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Definition of abominations
Noun
  • The Highlander, a 500 year old Scotsman who uses an ancient katana faces his most deadly adversaries, including The Kurgan, all set to a Queen soundtrack.
    — Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • Democrats should learn a lesson from the negative example of their Republican adversaries.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of adversaries

Browse Nearby Words

hatefulness
hates
hating
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Cite this Entry

“Hates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hates. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hates

Nglish: Translation of hates for Spanish Speakers

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