hate

hate — noun

1. a very strong feeling of not liking someone or something, often combined with a

1.nounA2
Definition

a very strong feeling of not liking someone or something, often combined with a wish to avoid or harm them

Example

David felt nothing but hate for the man who had stolen his car.

hate + for + [person]

Léa could not understand the hate between her two uncles.

Common collocations
  • feel hate
  • pure hate
  • deep hate
  • blind hate
  • full of hate
Synonyms
  • hatred

    the more common noun form for describing long-term hostility between groups or people

  • loathing

    stronger than hate, suggesting physical disgust as well as dislike

  • antipathy

    formal register; a deep-seated feeling of aversion

Antonyms
  • love

    the strongest opposite emotional bond

  • affection

    milder, suggesting warmth rather than passion

Grammar Patterns

hate + for/towards

Usage Note

Uncountable — do not say 'a hate' to mean a single feeling. Usually modified by adjectives like 'pure', 'deep', or 'blind'.

Common Mistakes

She has a hate for spicy food.
She has a strong dislike for spicy food.
'hate' as an uncountable noun sounds too strong for everyday preferences; use 'strong dislike' instead.
There is hate between the two teams.
There is hatred between the two teams.
the noun 'hatred' is far more common in neutral descriptions of conflict.

2. organized hostility, violence, or negative speech directed at a particular group

2.nounB2
Definition

organized hostility, violence, or negative speech directed at a particular group of people, often encouraged by political or social leaders

Example

Social media sites are trying harder to remove posts that spread hate.

collocation: spread hate

The government passed new laws to punish hate crimes against minorities.

compound: hate crimes

Common collocations
  • hate crime
  • hate speech
  • spread hate
  • online hate
  • hate mail
Synonyms
  • hostility

    broader term; can describe unfriendly behaviour without the political dimension

  • bigotry

    specifically about intolerance toward a group's race, religion, or identity

Antonyms
  • tolerance

    willingness to accept people from different groups

  • acceptance

    positive recognition of group differences

Grammar Patterns

hate + [crime/speech]

Usage Note

Common in fixed compounds: 'hate crime', 'hate speech', 'hate mail'. Unlike sense 1, this sense is about public, collective action rather than a private emotion.

Common Mistakes

He committed a hate.
He committed a hate crime.
'hate' alone cannot mean a criminal act; use the compound 'hate crime'.

hate — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five express strong dislike, but they differ in intensity and context. 'hate' is the most general and frequent word, covering everything from everyday annoyance ('I hate Monday mornings') to deep emotional rejection. 'detest' is more formal and carries a whiff of moral judgment — you detest cruelty, not bad weather. 'loathe' is the strongest of the set, adding a layer of physical disgust: people loathe certain foods or insects. 'despise' includes contempt — it implies looking down on someone as worthless or inferior. 'can't stand' is the informal counterpart of 'hate', common in spoken English: 'I can't stand loud chewing.' Use 'hate' for general strong dislike, 'loathe' for visceral disgust, 'despise' for moral contempt, and 'can't stand' for everyday irritation.

hate ↗detest ↗loathedespise ↗can't stand

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'hate' comes from Old English 'hatian' (verb) and 'hete' (noun), both from a Proto-Germanic root *hatis- meaning 'hostility, hatred.' Cognates include Old Norse 'hata,' German 'hassen,' and Dutch 'haten.' The noun 'hate' gradually replaced the older 'hatred' (still in use) as the everyday noun form from the 13th century onward.