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
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Adjective
Although Fang was charged in a single incident, authorities allege the defendant was responsible for a string of hateful messages found across the Northern California campus. — Seamus Bozeman, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 In that film’s story, Insiang (Hilda Koronel) metes out revenge against Dado (Ruel Vernal), her hateful mother’s lover, who rapes her after rejecting his advances. — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 10 July 2026 Evil Dead Burn isn’t as baldly hateful toward women as the hypersuccessful, low budget Obsession. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 10 July 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 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

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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 15 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

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