hateful

1 of 2

adjective

hate·​ful ˈhāt-fəl How to pronounce hateful (audio)
Synonyms of hatefulnext
1
: full of hate : malicious
2
: deserving of or arousing hate
hatefully
ˈhāt-fə-lē How to pronounce hateful (audio)
adverb
hatefulness noun

hatefulness

2 of 2

noun

hate·​ful·​ness
plural -es
: the quality or state of being hateful

Synonyms of hateful

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Adjective

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Examples of hateful in a Sentence

Adjective the girl's classmates were bullying her online, sending her hateful e-mails and text messages
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
We’re used to nasty, hateful, and sometimes violent things being said about us and even about our family. — Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 26 June 2026 After about a month, when the social media and news backlash started to settle down, Johnson said the hateful comments stopped coming in. — Elijah Polance, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026 Political podcasters such as Tucker Carlson peddle conspiracies and lies, and there seems to be little consequence for hateful rhetoric. — Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 29 June 2026 Social media sites used for hateful comments Pumphrey made threatening posts on the social media platform YouTube and other social media sites, according to the guilty plea. — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for hateful

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from hate hate entry 1 + -ful -ful entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hateful was in the 14th century

Rhymes for hateful

See All Rhymes for hateful

Browse Nearby Words

hate crime
hateful
hatefully
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hateful. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

hateful

adjective
hate·​ful ˈhāt-fəl How to pronounce hateful (audio)
1
: full of hate : malicious
hateful enemies
2
: causing or deserving hate
a hateful crime
hatefully
-fə-lē How to pronounce hateful (audio)
adverb
hatefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hateful

Nglish: Translation of hateful for Spanish Speakers

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