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
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Recent Examples of hateful
Numerous studies have shown the proliferation of hateful, tendentious content on X. Antisemitic, racist and misogynistic posts there rose sharply after Musk’s takeover, as did disinformation about climate change.
—
Natalie Proulx, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Garvey’s legacy has been complicated, especially due to his sometimes hateful and violent rhetoric against Jews, white people, Catholics, and other groups.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 19 Jan. 2025
The settlement, announced by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, requires Rutgers to take a series of actions to combat discrimination on campus after 400 reports of hateful incidents on campus were filed between July 2023 and June 2024.
—Fox News Staff, Fox News, 16 Jan. 2025
Instead, Meta will use a community notes system similar to Elon Musk’s X. Updates to Meta’s policy on hateful conduct include that LGBTQ people can now be called mentally ill because of their identities.
—Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hateful 
Natalie Proulx, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Garvey’s legacy has been complicated, especially due to his sometimes hateful and violent rhetoric against Jews, white people, Catholics, and other groups.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 19 Jan. 2025
The settlement, announced by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, requires Rutgers to take a series of actions to combat discrimination on campus after 400 reports of hateful incidents on campus were filed between July 2023 and June 2024.
—Fox News Staff, Fox News, 16 Jan. 2025
Instead, Meta will use a community notes system similar to Elon Musk’s X. Updates to Meta’s policy on hateful conduct include that LGBTQ people can now be called mentally ill because of their identities.
—Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hateful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hateful
Adjective
-
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
15 Feb. 2025
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Maloof is suing the city of Palm Bay, the Palm Bay Police Department and the officer on claims including malicious prosecution and false arrest.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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By the time Hezbollah launched its bombardment of Israel in solidarity with Hamas' vicious attack on Israel, the militant Lebanese organization had managed to build a significant military capability under the nose of UNFIL and was more robust than ever before.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
13 Feb. 2025
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Nashville's Bad Idea is a wine bar and restaurant set in a former Presbyterian church that fell into disrepair after a vicious tornado.—
USA TODAY,
USA TODAY,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The current government’s purposeful misrepresentation and defamation of DEI in such a comprehensively cruel and malicious manner deserves nothing less than personal and communal outrage and resistance.—
Dr. Tony Lux,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2025
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Immigrant advocates call those moves cruel and unnecessary.—
Joel Rose,
NPR,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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What follows is a twisted game of house where familiar familial relationships crumble and new ones take root like nasty black weeds.—
M.L. Rio,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
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Eagles edge rusher Josh Sweat had the splashiest individual stat line with 2.5 sacks, but a crew of nasty defensive tackles wrought devastation versus the run and the pass.—
Tim Graham,
The Athletic,
14 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near hateful
Cite this Entry
“Hateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hateful. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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