HATEFUL Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

hateful

adjective

ˈhāt-fəl

Definition of hateful

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

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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 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 The league’s emphasis on off-court harassment followed a July 22 joint statement from the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association addressing an increase in racist, hateful and abusive messages directed at players. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for hateful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hateful

Adjective

That leaves a short window during which malicious activity can contaminate the prediction machinery again.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
An attacker can then register the site and plant malicious instructions on it.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of malicious

Adjective

Detectives charged him with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon for the vicious attack that killed his mother, 57-year-old Josefa Soto de Guzman, on Friday.

— Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 26 Aug. 2026
Pace, skill, a vicious shot, the ability to make opposition defenders look like fools.

— James Horncastle, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of vicious

Adjective

Minneola City Councilman David Yeager’s efforts to annex his new home into the city earlier this summer sparked a nasty debate on the council that led to two members being censured last week for incivility.

— James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
Working with a nasty four-pitch mix, Bradley struck out six over four innings before achieving the feat in the fifth.

— Dan Hayes, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of nasty

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hated

hateful

hatefully

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“Hateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hateful. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of hateful

adjective

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