hateful
gb/hˈeɪtfəl/ us/hˈeɪtfəl/
B2
English
~ 6900
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
feeling or expressing strong hatred
Showing or feeling very strong hate toward a person or thing.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is hateful (to [someone])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'hateful' with 'hated'. 'Hateful' describes the person or thing that feels or shows hate (a hateful comment, a hateful person), while 'hated' describes someone or something that other people hate (a hated boss, a hated rule). Another mistake is using 'hateful' for mild dislike; in English it usually suggests very strong, often morally offensive hate.
Synonyms
hostile (Describes an unfriendly or aggressive attitude, not always as intense or morally loaded as 'hateful'.)
|
vicious (Emphasizes cruelty and intention to hurt, often stronger and more violent than 'hateful'.)
|
malicious (Focuses on wanting to cause harm, which is often but not always driven by hate.)
Antonyms
kind (Shows care and warmth toward others, the opposite emotional attitude of 'hateful'.)
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tolerant (Willing to accept differences rather than react with hate or hostility.)
Collocations
hateful comments
|hateful language
|hateful messages
|hateful ideology
|hateful behavior
|hateful rhetoric
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|conflict
|society
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She received a stream of hateful messages after the interview.
- His hateful remarks about immigrants shocked everyone in the room.
- The group is known for its hateful ideology and violent actions.
- Online platforms are under pressure to remove hateful content more quickly.
- He gave her a hateful look and walked away without a word.
Learner examples
- He wrote a hateful comment under her photo.
- The teacher does not allow hateful language in class.
- Many people reported the hateful post to the website.
- She felt hurt by his hateful words.
- They started a campaign against hateful behavior online.
unknown
C1
property
2
extremely unpleasant; deserving strong dislike
Very, very unpleasant or disgusting, so that you strongly dislike it.
Usage pattern:
a hateful [task/experience/thing]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes overuse 'hateful' to describe normal dislikes (for example, 'a hateful movie' when they simply mean they did not enjoy it). In everyday English, 'hateful' usually sounds very strong and emotional, suggesting that something is not just bad but almost morally or physically revolting.
Synonyms
detestable (Very similar in strength to 'hateful', but slightly more formal or literary.)
|
disgusting (Focuses more on physical or moral disgust, not always on moral judgment to the same degree.)
|
vile (Strongly emphasizes moral or physical repulsiveness, often slightly stronger and more emotional than 'hateful'.)
Antonyms
pleasant (Describes something that gives comfort or enjoyment, the opposite of something 'hateful'.)
|
enjoyable (Focuses on giving pleasure, the direct opposite of a 'hateful' task or experience.)
Collocations
hateful task
|hateful job
|hateful smell
|hateful experience
|truly hateful
|absolutely hateful
Themes
emotions
|evaluation
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Cleaning out the moldy fridge was a truly hateful task.
- It was a hateful job, but someone had to do it.
- The room was filled with a hateful smell of rotten food.
- She remembered the exam as a hateful experience she never wanted to repeat.
- The weather was cold, wet, and hateful all weekend.
Learner examples
- For me, ironing is a hateful job.
- The medicine has a hateful taste.
- He had to do a hateful task at work today.
- The smell from the trash was hateful.
- It was a hateful time in my life.
Grammar
Expressions
hateful conduct
1/hˈeɪtfəl kˈɑndʌkt/
fixed phrase
formal
behavior showing hate or discrimination
Behavior that attacks or hurts people because of who they are, with strong hate or bias.
Examples
- The platform’s rules ban hateful conduct toward individuals or groups.
- Employees are warned that any hateful conduct will lead to immediate dismissal.
hateful content
1/hˈeɪtfəl kˈɑntɛnt/
fixed phrase
online material expressing hate or bias
Text, images, or videos that show strong hate or discrimination toward people or groups.
Examples
- The company uses automated tools to detect and remove hateful content.
- Parents worry about their children seeing hateful content on social media.
hateful speech
1/hˈeɪtfəl spˈit͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
spoken language expressing hatred
Spoken words that show strong hate or discrimination against a person or group.
Examples
- The law makes a clear distinction between criticism and hateful speech.
- Teachers intervened when the argument turned into openly hateful speech.