hatred
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
- prehatred noun
- self-hatred noun
Etymology
Origin of hatred
Explanation
The noun hatred means to feel a strong emotional dislike toward something or someone. You feel hatred of people who have done terrible things to you, or books about too-perfect teens. Hatred comes from Old English hete, which means "hate," plus the suffix red (ræden), which means "the condition of." If you find after twenty years of marriage you no longer like your husband, you may be able to work it out. If you feel hatred towards him, your differences may be irreconcilable.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Another said contraception "sucks" before a different user shared their hatred towards the pill, saying it made them depressed.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
“My focus was on not understanding war and hatred and bigotry,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
When governments allow themselves to be drawn into war by intolerance or the arrogance of power, they plant the seeds of resentment that yield more hatred and violence.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
I’ll admit it: I think our collective weeknight blender hatred is a bit overblown.
From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026
Cluny felt himself filled with hatred for his pursuer.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
