hate 1 of 2

hate

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb hate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of hate are abhor, abominate, detest, and loathe. While all these words mean "to feel strong aversion or intense dislike for," hate implies an emotional aversion often coupled with enmity or malice.

hated the enemy with a passion

When would abhor be a good substitute for hate?

The meanings of abhor and hate largely overlap; however, abhor implies a deep often shuddering repugnance.

a crime abhorred by all

When might abominate be a better fit than hate?

The synonyms abominate and hate are sometimes interchangeable, but abominate suggests strong detestation and often moral condemnation.

abominates all forms of violence

When can detest be used instead of hate?

While in some cases nearly identical to hate, detest suggests violent antipathy.

detests cowards

When is it sensible to use loathe instead of hate?

While the synonyms loathe and hate are close in meaning, loathe implies utter disgust and intolerance.

loathed the mere sight of them

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hate
Verb
Never enough to get drunk, but enough to love and hate it. Michael Thomas, New Yorker, 19 July 2025 Few people hated the looks of the Washington headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation more than the man it was named after. Andy Rose, CNN Money, 19 July 2025
Noun
The chatbot didn’t just spew antisemitic hate posts, though. Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 10 July 2025 But where are those people now, when the hate is geared toward me? Jessica Tzikas, Sun Sentinel, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for hate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hate
Verb
  • On state television, tightly controlled by the Kremlin, Washington’s U-turn on providing weapons to Ukraine has been roundly slated, with President Trump being compared to his presidential predecessor, widely despised in Russia.
    Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 15 July 2025
  • What Gauguin despised was the misapplication of religion, not religion itself.
    Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • There’s a great tradition in sports of being driven by a fear, or a hatred, of that feeling.
    Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
  • She’s been feeling so much hatred, so much anger, so much sadness, so much disappointment these last few episodes.
    Lynette Rice, Deadline, 13 July 2025
Noun
  • They are professedly based on hunches that the enemy will attack, occupy or conquer at some future time unless the enemy is obliterated.
    Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 24 July 2025
  • Iris and Isaac’s idyll is interrupted by the enemy of all great budding romances: the truth.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 23 July 2025
Noun
  • Holly hits the road with the activist and brings along a gun, despite her deep need to be near her home and her abhorrence of weapons.
    Maren Longbella, Boston Herald, 30 May 2025
  • The reactions from right-of-center publications divide into roughly four camps, aligning on a spectrum ranging from vocal approval to outright abhorrence.
    Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Noun
  • But sleepaway camp may not be for everyone, including children with a panic or mood disorder, phobia, or who have experienced a recent tragedy or trauma.
    Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 9 July 2025
  • So spending the night in a haunted hotel on Friday the 13th, for example, would be a nightmare for anyone dealing with these phobias.
    Tribune News Reports, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2025
Noun
  • But the Anti-Masons’ political ascendancy was short-lived; the party collapsed in the 1830s and was largely absorbed by the Whigs, who shared the Anti-Masons’ economic preferences, as well as their antipathy toward Jackson (himself a prominent Freemason).
    Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
  • Critics called the case politically motivated, driven by then-President Joe Biden’s antipathy toward the oil industry.
    Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 20 July 2025
Noun
  • Between the lines: Many undecideds are painfully trying to balance their sense of obligation with their detestation for Trump, as USA Today first detailed on Thursday.
    Erin Doherty, Axios, 14 Dec. 2024
  • One of the most memorable chapters epitomizes her detestation for the ultra-wealthy and pompous intellectuals who rushed to rationalize her work.
    Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 20 Jan. 2024
Noun
  • The vanilla was the best, with a toasty, rounded flavor, raspberry was jammy and fine, and blueberry was a minor abomination, reminiscent of the warm pool of flavor syrup at the bottom of your snowcone.
    Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 July 2025
  • While Bombshell took home the Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling in 2020, which was admittedly deserved in the case of Charlize Theron’s transformation into Megyn Kelly, Kidman’s wig was an abomination.
    Jihane Bousfiha, Vulture, 2 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hate. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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