hate

1 of 2

noun

ˈhāt How to pronounce hate (audio)
Synonyms of hatenext
1
a
: intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury
b
: extreme dislike or disgust : antipathy, loathing
had a great hate of hard work
c
: a systematic and especially politically exploited expression of hatred
a crime motivated by bigotry and hate
—often used before another noun
hate mail
an organization tracking hate groups
 see also hate crime
2
: an object of hatred
a generation whose finest hate had been big business—F. L. Paxson

hate

2 of 2

verb

hated; hating

transitive verb

1
: to feel extreme enmity toward : to regard with active hostility
hates his country's enemies
2
: to have a strong aversion to : find very distasteful
hated to have to meet strangers
hate hypocrisy

intransitive verb

: to express or feel extreme enmity or active hostility
harsh faces and hating eyes—Katherine A. Porter
Phrases
hate one's guts
: to hate someone with great intensity

Synonyms

Noun

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for hate

hate, detest, abhor, abominate, loathe mean to feel strong aversion or intense dislike for.

hate implies an emotional aversion often coupled with enmity or malice.

hated the enemy with a passion

detest suggests violent antipathy.

detests cowards

abhor implies a deep often shuddering repugnance.

a crime abhorred by all

abominate suggests strong detestation and often moral condemnation.

abominates all forms of violence

loathe implies utter disgust and intolerance.

loathed the mere sight of them

Examples of hate in a Sentence

Noun These crimes are motivated by prejudice and hate. They have been unable to overcome their hates and fears. Verb He was a cruel tyrant who was hated and feared by his people. She hated them for betraying her. They were political rivals who truly hated each other. What is it that you hate about him most? children whose families have taught them to hate They hate being apart from each other. I hate the idea of leaving my mother alone all week.
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.
Noun
The results point to Asian Americans’ sensitivity to the issue of crime and safety due to the uptick of anti-Asian hate during the height of the pandemic that many feel went unaddressed, experts say. —Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024 He’s finally painted the town in the colors of his mother’s desperate dreams, but there will be no verbal acknowledgment of pride to drown out her final words of hate. —Andy Andersen, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024
Verb
Also, Ross helped spread the rumor, so that causes a rift between him and Rachel, who are currently on a break from hating each other. —Brian Boone, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2024 However, what is the one thing that investors hate? —David T. Nudelman, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hate 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, probably derivative of haten "to hate entry 2," replacing hete "hate, hatred," going back to Old English, going back to Germanic *hatiz- (whence, also inflected as an i-stem as in Old English, Old Saxon heti "hatred," and, inflected as a neuter strong noun, Old Norse hatr "hatred, spite" and Gothic hatis "anger, enmity"), perhaps going back to Indo-European *ḱh2d-es-, derivative of a base *ḱeh2d- "grief, pain, hatred," whence, with different ablaut grades and suffixation, Oscan cadeis (genitive singular) "ill will," Middle Irish cais "love, hatred," Old Welsh cás "bitterness, hatred" (Celtic from a derivative *ḱh2d-ti-), Greek kêdos (neuter) "care, grief, (in plural) funeral rites, mourning, connection by marriage," Avestan sādra- "grief, pain, calamity"

Note: Though this Indo-European etymon is generally accepted in etymological dictionaries of the relevant older languages, the semantic relations are far from transparent, in particular the relation between "grief, mourning, care" (Greek, Iranian) and "hatred" (Germanic, Italic, and Celtic, though the ambiguity of the Irish word is peculiar).

Verb

Middle English haten, going back to Old English hatian, going back to Germanic *hatōjan- (whence Old Saxon haton "to hate," Old High German hazzōn, Old Norse hata,), derivative from the base of *hatiz- hate entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hate was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing hate

Dictionary Entries Near hate

hat dance

hate

hateable

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Hate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hate. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

hate

1 of 2 noun
ˈhāt How to pronounce hate (audio)
1
: strong dislike
2
: something or someone that is hated

hate

2 of 2 verb
hated; hating
1
: to feel strong dislike toward
hates his country's enemies
2
a
: to have a strong feeling of disgust for
hate hypocrisy
b
: to find distasteful : dislike
hates cold weather
hater noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hate

Nglish: Translation of hate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of hate for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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