HATES Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

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!

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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

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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

Devin irrationally hates her and has been trying to get her out since the beginning. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026 Belichick is just as famous as Sanders, but finding a man on the street who loves or hates Belichick (and isn’t a Jets or Dolphins fan) would be difficult. — David Ubben, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 Mimikyu hates bright sunlight and prefers to stay in dark, hidden places. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026 True, Francesca Hong hates America, Thanksgiving and most national holidays, and is anti-Israel and anything slanted to the true American ideals that made our country great. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026 This guy hates smells, blood and gore, so the humor and comedy is in the commitment. — Matt Minton, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026 Alex, pointedly called Alexa by her mother (Florencia Lozano), who hates Alex’s tomboyish style, works in a bodega and looks after her brother a lot. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 9 Aug. 2026 Talarico also hates Christianity, the oil and gas industry and families, Paxton said. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Aug. 2026 The letter wears a visible hearing aid and hates the offensive jokes about it. — Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 4 Aug. 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

Verb

But whereas The Holdovers’s Paul Hunham despises his lazy, pampered students, The Debut’s Jerry Blankenbuehler has a determination to summon theatrical magic out of his meager cast.

— Joe Reid, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
Naturally, this puts him at odds with the Green Lantern Corps – but Sinestro really really despises the Guardians of the Universe the most here.

— Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of despises

Noun

Continue reading … STAR WARS — America's enemies prepare to take the next major war into outer space.

— , FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Rather than growing up on the paradise island of Themyscira, Kelly Thompson’s Wonder Woman is raised in Hell by the witch Circe — historically one of her greatest enemies.

— Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of enemies

Noun

Clinically, phobias are considered anxiety disorders, but some researchers believe that everyone is a little trypophobic.

— Gabriela Galvin, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026
Cage plays Roy, a gifted con artist with obsessive-compulsive disorder whose tics, phobias and elaborate rituals have turned his immaculate home into a fortress against the world.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of phobias

Noun

It a thematic fit, and after nearly 200 episodes, there’s no doubting this team’s ability to deliver fresh, new abominations.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of abominations

Noun

Saab says Sea Giraffe AMB D incorporates electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) to help maintain surveillance performance in environments where adversaries try to disrupt detection and tracking.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
If the United States fails to safeguard its deepening military partnerships, adversaries will have more opportunities than ever before to at once undermine American defenses and improve their own militaries.

— Sam Mullins, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of adversaries

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hatefulness

hates

hating

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“Hates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hates. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of hates

verb

noun

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