hate
gb/hˈeɪt/ us/hˈeɪt/
A2
English
~ 2000
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Feel intense dislike for
To have a very strong feeling of not liking someone or something.
Usage pattern:
to hate [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'hate' with 'dislike'. 'Hate' is much stronger and more emotional than 'dislike'.
Synonyms
detest (Slightly more formal and emphatic than 'hate'.)
|
loathe (Stronger and more intense than 'hate', often with disgust.)
Antonyms
love (Expresses strong positive feelings, the direct opposite of strong dislike.)
|
like (Indicates a positive preference rather than dislike.)
Collocations
hate doing
|hate it when
|really hate
|hate each other
|hate the idea
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I hate getting up early on weekends.
- She hates the smell of cigarette smoke.
- They hate each other after the argument.
- I hate waiting in long lines.
- He hates public speaking.
Learner examples
- I hate cold weather.
- She hates onions.
- They hate loud music.
- I hate doing homework.
- He hates running.
Noun
B1
state
2
Strong dislike or hostility
A very strong feeling of not liking someone or something.
Common mistake:
Some learners use 'hate' as a noun without an article when referring to a specific instance; in countable contexts, 'a hate' is rare and usually informal/slang.
Synonyms
hatred (A more formal synonym; often used in serious or emotional contexts.)
Antonyms
love (Strong positive emotion toward someone or something.)
Collocations
filled with hate
|hate speech
|object of hate
|spread hate
Themes
emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The war was fueled by hate and fear.
- Her eyes were full of hate.
- Hate can destroy relationships.
- He spoke with obvious hate in his voice.
Learner examples
- Hate can hurt people.
- I saw hate in his face.
- They spread hate online.
- Hate is not good.
Grammar
Dictionary form
hate
IPA
GB/hˈeɪt/
US/hˈeɪt/
Syllables & stress
hate (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (hate)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: hate
- Plural: hate
Verb
- Base: hate
- 3rd Person Singular: hates
- Present Participle: hating
- Past: hated
Word family
Expressions
hate someone's guts
1/hˈeɪt sˈʌmwˌʌnz ɡˈʌts/
idiom
informal
Completely despise someone
To strongly dislike someone completely.
Examples
- She really hates his guts after what happened.
- I can't work with him—I hate his guts.
hate to say it
1/hˈeɪt tə sˈeɪ ˈɪt/
fixed phrase
informal
Reluctant introduction to bad news/opinion
Used before saying something that you think might upset someone.
Examples
- I hate to say it, but I think you're wrong.
- Hate to say it, but this plan won't work.
hater
1/hˈeɪtɚ/
fixed phrase
slang
Person who criticizes others out of envy/dislike
Someone who says bad things about another person because they are jealous or don't like them.
Examples
- Ignore the haters and keep going.
- She's got a lot of haters online.
love to hate
1/lˈʌv tə hˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
informal
Enjoy criticizing/disliking
To enjoy talking badly about someone or something you don't like.
Examples
- He's the politician everyone loves to hate.
- That show is one people love to hate.