hate
hate
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "hate" is /heɪt/.
/heɪt/
Word Form Variations
Noun: hate (uncountable), hates (plural)
Verb: hate (base form), hates (3rd person singular present), hating (present participle), hated (past simple, past participle)
Adjective: hateful, hated (as in "a much hated figure")
Adverb: hatefully
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: An intense and often bitter feeling of dislike, animosity, or strong aversion towards someone or something. This emotion can range from a deep-seated revulsion to a less extreme, but still powerful, repugnance.
Synonyms: animosity, antagonism, antipathy, aversion, detestation, dislike, enmity, ill will, loathing, malice, rancor, revulsion
Antonyms: affection, benevolence, fondness, goodwill, liking, love, regard, warmth
Definition 2: (Figurative, often used informally) A person or thing that is the object of intense dislike.
Example: "Spiders are my ultimate hate."
Synonyms: anathema, bane, bête noire, bugbear, nemesis, pet peeve
Antonyms: darling, delight, favorite, joy, love, treasure
Verb
Definition 1: To feel intense dislike or animosity towards someone or something. This involves a strong emotional response of aversion.
Synonyms: abhor, abominate, detest, despise, loathe, execrate
Antonyms: adore, cherish, admire, fancy, like, love, relish, enjoy
Definition 2: To be unwilling or reluctant to do something, often implying a strong aversion to the action itself or its consequences.
Example: "I hate to interrupt, but we need to leave."
Synonyms: dread, dislike (to), object (to), shrink from, balk at
Antonyms: embrace, welcome, be eager (to), be keen (to), look forward (to)
Adjective
Hateful
Definition: Full of hate; expressing or characterized by intense dislike or hostility; causing or deserving hate.
Synonyms: abhorrent, despicable, detestable, loathsome, odious, repulsive, vile
Antonyms: admirable, agreeable, amiable, desirable, likable, lovely, pleasant, wonderful
Hated
Definition: The object of intense dislike or animosity. (Often used as a past participle acting as an adjective).
Synonyms: despised, detested, disliked, feared, loathed, unpopular
Antonyms: adored, admired, beloved, cherished, favored, loved, popular
Examples of Use
Books:
"He felt a profound and unwavering hate for the man who had wronged his family." (From a fictional novel, illustrating the noun form)
"The characters in 1984 are constantly grappling with the concept of organized hate against designated enemies of the state." (Referring to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, published June 1949)
Newspapers:
"Community leaders called for an end to hate speech following a recent incident of racial slurs." (Reported in The Guardian, March 2024)
"The senator said, 'I hate to see our nation divided by partisan politics.'" (The New York Times, May 2024)
Online Publications:
"Why do we hate Mondays so much? Psychologists weigh in on the common phenomenon." (Article on Psychology Today, February 2024)
"The comment section of the viral video was filled with vitriolic hate." (Reported on Mashable, April 2024)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: A character in the movie American History X declares, "I hate what you've become." (Released October 1998)
Television Series: "You know, sometimes I just hate my job," a common line heard in many sitcoms when a character is frustrated. (General example across various series, e.g., The Office, Parks and Recreation)
Music: The lyrics of CeeLo Green's song "Fuck You" famously include the line, "I hate you, so much." (Released August 2010)
Social Media: A user posts on X (formerly Twitter), "I hate when my internet cuts out during a crucial moment!" (Common user post, e.g., May 2024)
Video Games: In many role-playing games, an enemy character might yell, "I hate you!" as they attack the player. (General example across various games)
General Public Discourse:
"I really hate traffic during rush hour." (Common everyday complaint)
"There's a lot of hate circulating online these days, and it's concerning." (Conversational observation)
"Do you hate your new phone, or are you just getting used to it?" (Casual question between friends)
10 Quotes Using Hate
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." (Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love, 1963)
"The hate of men comes from a love of truth, but not of the truth, nor of the good, nor of wisdom, but of themselves." (Voltaire, The Philosophical Dictionary, 1764)
"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." (Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, 1994)
"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." (Martin Luther King Jr.)
"Love and hate are not opposites; they are two sides of the same coin." (A popular saying often attributed to various sources, reflecting a common philosophical idea)
"You don't hate the person, you hate the sin." (Often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, though the exact phrasing varies in popular usage)
"Power hates a vacuum." (Attributed to Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince, 1532)
"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference." (Often attributed to Elie Wiesel, though the phrasing varies slightly in different contexts)
"If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us." (Hermann Hesse, Demian, 1919)
"Hate is like acid to the soul." (A common adage, its exact origin is difficult to pinpoint but widely used)
Etymology
The word "hate" has a long history, going back to the very earliest forms of the English language.
Its roots are in the Old English period (before the year 1150). The Old English word for the verb "to hate" was hatian, and the noun for "hate" was hete.
Interestingly, at first, the meaning of these words was a bit different from how we typically think of "hate" today. In Old English, hatian meant something closer to "to regard with extreme ill-will," "to have a passionate aversion to," or even "to treat as an enemy." The noun hete meant "hatred," "spite," "envy," or "hostility."
So, while it already carried negative feelings, it was strongly tied to the idea of treating someone as an opponent or rival, especially in contexts like ancient warrior societies where a "hata" was literally someone you fought against. Over time, particularly in the Middle Ages, the word evolved to encompass intense anger and the deep emotional hostility we associate with "hate" today.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Hate
Hate crime: A crime, often violent, motivated by prejudice or animosity toward a particular group.
Hate speech: Abusive or threatening language, especially that which expresses prejudice against a particular group, based on ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or the like.
Hate on (someone/something): (Slang) To excessively criticize or dislike someone or something.
Love to hate: To enjoy disliking someone or something, often because they are so bad or annoying that they become entertaining.
Hate to say it, but...: An introductory phrase used when one is about to deliver unwelcome news or an unpopular opinion.
Hate to burst your bubble: An idiom used when someone is about to reveal information that will likely disappoint or disillusion another person.
Hate-monger: A person who incites hatred in others.
Hate with a passion: To dislike something or someone extremely strongly.
Hate's a strong word: A common phrase used to temper or downplay an expression of intense dislike, suggesting that the speaker might not genuinely feel such a strong emotion.
To hate someone's guts: To intensely dislike or despise someone.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of hate from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
