hateful

adjective

hate·​ful ˈhāt-fəl How to pronounce hateful (audio)
1
: full of hate : malicious
2
: deserving of or arousing hate
hatefully adverb
hatefulness noun

Examples of hateful in a Sentence

the girl's classmates were bullying her online, sending her hateful e-mails and text messages
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.
The nonprofit’s promotional ads were on social media including Facebook, where it was met with some explicitly hateful comments aimed at the LGBTQ community, Carolina Theatre spokesman Jared Misner said. Charlotte Observer, 15 Aug. 2025 They were targeted, hateful attempts to intimidate and silence members of our community. David Ferrara, The Enquirer, 11 Aug. 2025 Klum and Kaulitz, who tied the knot in 2019, have been on the receiving end of hateful remarks due to their 17-year age gap. Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2025 Underage photos of me were used, and examples of me acting in character were presented as hateful. EW.com, 7 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hateful

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from hate hate entry 1 + -ful -ful entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hateful was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hateful. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

hateful

adjective
hate·​ful ˈhāt-fəl How to pronounce hateful (audio)
1
: full of hate : malicious
hateful enemies
2
: causing or deserving hate
a hateful crime
hatefully adverb
hatefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hateful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!