hateful

adjective

ˈhāt-fəl How to pronounce hateful (audio)
Definition of hatefulnext
as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it the girl's classmates were bullying her online, sending her hateful e-mails and text messages

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 hateful When Rodrigo, Perry, Grande, and Kahan made public comments, spokespeople for the White House used the opportunity to spread hateful rhetoric. — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2026 Without human oversight, AI can end up penalizing the very communities most vulnerable to the hateful content the systems are designed to combat. — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2026 Yet, this hateful dangerous man remained on the loose and soon killed my mother. — Rachel Sales, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026 The goal isn’t to eliminate every harmful post or hateful idea. — Larry Magid, Mercury News, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for hateful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hateful
  1. malicious
  2. vicious
  3. cruel
  4. nasty
Adjective
  • Strong antivirus software can help warn you about malicious downloads or suspicious websites.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Radha had always believed that the world was evil and people malicious.
    — Akhil Sharma, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of malicious
Adjective
  • Your husband merely identified the obvious, most vicious enemy of the people in straightforward terms.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Democrats have little trouble understanding that the right-wing infighting over Carlson is about whether the Republican tent, which already includes racists, nativists, and vicious Islamophobes, is also big enough to include anti-Semites.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • Having Sheridan actually be a cruel person was one of the key audience expectations the writer-director hoped to flip in the pursuit of laughs.
    — William Earl, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But Triage does have a moment in which an ember of the old cruel optimism flickers.
    — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • Fatu hit a nasty flying Samoan Spike on D’Angelo and pinned him.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Unglazed Ceramic And Stoneware A beautiful stoneware or ceramic dish can leave nasty scratches on your stovetop’s surface.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of nasty

Browse Nearby Words

hated
hateful
hatefully
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hateful. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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