Hatred

'heɪtrɪd

nounmediumCommonGeneral

Definitions

1

Intense and passionate dislike; animosity.

'heɪtrɪd

nounnegativemedium
General

Intense dislike or aversion; extreme hostility.

His hatred for his rival was evident in his every action.

💡 Simply: Hatred is like when you really, really, REALLY dislike something or someone, so much that it makes you feel angry and upset. Think about someone being really mean to you, and how mad it would make you—that's a little bit of hatred.

👶 For kids: Hatred is when you strongly dislike someone or something, and you feel very bad about it.

More Examples

2

The novel depicted the destructive power of hatred.

3

Generations of hatred had fueled the conflict.

How It's Used

Psychology

"The psychologist studied the roots of hatred in early childhood experiences."

Sociology

"Racial hatred fueled the violence."

Literature

"Shakespeare explored themes of love and hatred."

Idioms & expressions

Love and hate

The coexistence of strong opposing feelings.

"Their relationship was a complicated mix of love and hate."

A product of hatred

Something resulting from feelings of hatred.

"The violence was seen as a product of hatred."

From Middle English *hatreden*, from Old English *heætræd*, *heætrād* ('hatred, hostility'), from *hat* ('hate') + *-ræd* ('condition').

The word hatred has been used in English literature for centuries, often to describe the destructive impact of strong negative emotions in conflicts and personal relationships.

Memory tip

Imagine a HEART that is RED (hate is red) – think of this as a dangerous emotion.

hatridhatread

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written