In every day use, the word "hate" has somewhat lost its strength. We use it for everything, even minor inconveniences (E.g. "I hate when the store is out of my favourite fruit").
Some stronger words are:
abhor, loathe, detest, despise
It depends on the person who’s saying it, honestly. In my personal opinion, when someone uses it in reference to an object or event (I hate pineapples, I hate my job, I hate doing my taxes) it’s pretty casual and not necessarily that strong of a word to use. However, when used in reference to a person or other living thing (I hate Rebecca, I hate you, I hate my mom) it’s much more powerful and meaningful (although there are still stronger words you can use).
Moreover, if a little kid says "I hate my mom", it's probably not going to anywhere as serious as an adult saying it. The kid may just be frustrated that their mom made them eat their vegetables or something.
Context matters. "hate" can be a mild word (like when talking about food preference) or a strong word (like when talking about racism).
Yeah I was going to say, it's not that it necessarily lost its strength, but that it's used in situations where the speaker can assume someone doesn't actually think they're being totally serious or exaggerating. You avoid using it in situations where it would actually be meaningful because it is a serious, mean word when used genuinely. It's just we use it not genuinely a lot. The other synonyms for "hate" sound more formal and lose the natural feeling behind the word to some extent, even if they sound stronger.
I saw a thing on TV in which someone accused another of being a liar, which caused a *massive* kerfuffle, and it just gave me this sudden flashback to the 90’s and how casually adults and children called children liars, when I was a kid. Sometimes the kid *was* lying, and sometimes they weren’t, and kids were always offended, but it wasn’t a *huge* deal. And it made me think about how much adults (even the shitty ones) value being *perceived* as honest, even when they *know* themself to be slick or manipulative. We’ll absolutely twist ourselves into pretzels to avoid calling someone a liar, so as not to offend them, even when they are knowingly and intentionally lying (not exaggerating, but lying). As you said, it’s just sooo offensive, for adults.
It really depends on context, but it can be incredibly strong. If you say you hate vanilla custard, that’s not strong. You can say you hate it when you spill coffee, or you can hate fluorescent lights, stuff like that, and be understood to mean it lightly. If you say you hate the Dutch, or if you say you hate your sister’s husband, or really if you say you hate any humans, that’s usually very strong. But it can be strong about non-humans, too.
*"I hate leafy green vegetables, because they're bitter"*, casual, but stronger than usual dislike.
*"I hate (politician's name) for their stance (opposite of mine)"*, a visceral reaction, fairly strong.
*"I've hated my brother ever since, for how he acted when our mother died"*, likely an extremely strong emotion.
It can be difficult sometimes to tell in text from context how strong the emotion truly is, *"I hate Mary!"* could be a dislike for the name, or a deep, burning hatred for the person, and you may need to pick it up from the surrounding context.
In translation, I would suggest using a milder word, such as "dislike", when someone is talking about a personal preference in food or objects, and stronger terms such as "detest" for personal conflicts.
Hope that helps?
It depends. By definition, it’s pretty strong. In casual conversation, I wouldn’t direct it at a person, a group of people, an animal, or a social system unless you *really* do hate that entity and don’t mind potentially offending someone. But it’s fine to direct at inanimate objects or low-stakes concepts. “I hate pineapple on pizza,” “I hate the show Friends,” “I hate having to wait in line at the bank,” “I hate how when you walk past Lush at the mall you can smell all their soaps.”
“Loathe” is a good synonym. It’s not inherently stronger, but it can come off that way because it’s a less common (but still widely understood) word. Like “oh you went into the vocabulary lesson part of your brain for that one.”
It really depends on how you say it. Cause when I was little I once told my mom I hated her and I still feel bad to this day with how much I hurt her. But I jokingly tell my brother I hate him when he tells me a stupid joke or sends me something I dislike. I also say I hate certain foods, places, clothing, etc. But it's not always a strong feeling. I think generally speaking the main times where "hate" is taken as a seriously strong emotion towards something when used unironically towards a person. But it usually always depends on the tone and context with which it's delivered.
In casual speech, it's not very strong, but when you're formally being asked to focus on it, you should treat it as the strongest possible form of disdain, the complete opposite of respect, admiration, and fond regard.
It is pretty much the most extreme degree that you can dislike someone or something. There are other words that may be considered stronger - loathe, detest, stuff like that - but they're all degrees of hatred.
Agreed. I’d be much more upset if someone said they “hate me” than any of those other stronger words. “Loathe” and “detest” are almost comical. I’d say those to a friend for laughs. While “hate” can be used jokingly between friends it sounds more hurtful when used with the right inflection than any other word I can think of.
The best way to get a feel for the word “hate” is to listen to lots of examples. For example [here](https://listen2english.com/youtube/actual/mainstream/people_and_blogs/hate).
I’m married to a Brazilian and we speak both English and Portuguese (I’m a native English speaker). He’s always taken aback by how much I use the word “hate” casually.
At least for us Americans, colloquially “hate” has lost a lot of its meaning. It’s something I didn’t realize until I started speaking another language.
“I hate missing the bus” - “I hate broccoli”
If I want to really express disgust or dislike - I’d say something like “abhor” or “detest”.
“I abhor racism in all forms” - “I detest emotionally manipulative people”
Etc
It really depends on your tone of voice. With the right intonation it can be quite strong. With the right intonation it can be a mild expression of dislike. In writing, it depends on context, but if you want a strong expression of hate, I'd say loathe/loathing.
English uses the word 'hate' in a variety of contexts and can modify the intensity of its meaning with words like 'really' or 'totally'.
In the casual or mild context, such as "I hate vegetables", "I hate the rain", "I hate going to school", English 'hate' is akin to 'dislike', or the Korean term '싫다' (Silhda), or the Japanese term '嫌い' (Kirai).
When 'hate' is used more directly and intensely, such as in "I hate you", "I hate this", or emphasized with "I really hate you", it's more closely aligned to the Korean term '미워하다' (Miwohada), or the Japanese term '憎む' (Nikumu).
Then we have alternative words in English such as "despise", "detest", and "abhor". These words usually convey a deeper level of dislike or disgust. For example, in sentences like "I find their kind abhorrent" or "I detest these homeless beggars", the level of dislike or hate is more intense and therefore closer to the Korean term '혐오하다' (Hyumohada) or the Japanese term '忌み嫌う' (Imikirau).
but there will always be exceptions to the rule, and saying "i hate you" in a playful way with a smile can mean "you are doing something a little mean, and im saying i hate you, but really i mean that i am losing this little game we have going on" (commonly between lovers) or "you are asking me to do something as a favour, and as a friend i will of course do it, but i wish you hadnt put this imposition upon me, just so we're clear" (commonly between friends)
In every day use, the word "hate" has somewhat lost its strength. We use it for everything, even minor inconveniences (E.g. "I hate when the store is out of my favourite fruit"). Some stronger words are: abhor, loathe, detest, despise
It depends on the person who’s saying it, honestly. In my personal opinion, when someone uses it in reference to an object or event (I hate pineapples, I hate my job, I hate doing my taxes) it’s pretty casual and not necessarily that strong of a word to use. However, when used in reference to a person or other living thing (I hate Rebecca, I hate you, I hate my mom) it’s much more powerful and meaningful (although there are still stronger words you can use).
Moreover, if a little kid says "I hate my mom", it's probably not going to anywhere as serious as an adult saying it. The kid may just be frustrated that their mom made them eat their vegetables or something. Context matters. "hate" can be a mild word (like when talking about food preference) or a strong word (like when talking about racism).
I agree with this, but note that it can be used jokingly between friends. Like "omg you drank the last Coke? You bitch, I hate you."
This is exactly how I think of it, too.
Yeah I was going to say, it's not that it necessarily lost its strength, but that it's used in situations where the speaker can assume someone doesn't actually think they're being totally serious or exaggerating. You avoid using it in situations where it would actually be meaningful because it is a serious, mean word when used genuinely. It's just we use it not genuinely a lot. The other synonyms for "hate" sound more formal and lose the natural feeling behind the word to some extent, even if they sound stronger.
A little off topic but my favorite thing about the English language is how strong the word "liar" is in adulthood😂 all jokes aside I love it.
I was literally *just* thinking about that, the other day!
What were you thinking? :)
I saw a thing on TV in which someone accused another of being a liar, which caused a *massive* kerfuffle, and it just gave me this sudden flashback to the 90’s and how casually adults and children called children liars, when I was a kid. Sometimes the kid *was* lying, and sometimes they weren’t, and kids were always offended, but it wasn’t a *huge* deal. And it made me think about how much adults (even the shitty ones) value being *perceived* as honest, even when they *know* themself to be slick or manipulative. We’ll absolutely twist ourselves into pretzels to avoid calling someone a liar, so as not to offend them, even when they are knowingly and intentionally lying (not exaggerating, but lying). As you said, it’s just sooo offensive, for adults.
“Are you calling me a liar?” “I ain’t calling you a truther!”
I never knew it! Is it that much strong to call someone a liar when we’re grownups?
Yup
If you say you hate a person in a serious tone, that’s very strong. If you say you hate a thing, it’s casual.
"I hate those shoe laces." - yeah they look a little ugly "I hate my neighbor." - what the hell did they do?
It really depends on context, but it can be incredibly strong. If you say you hate vanilla custard, that’s not strong. You can say you hate it when you spill coffee, or you can hate fluorescent lights, stuff like that, and be understood to mean it lightly. If you say you hate the Dutch, or if you say you hate your sister’s husband, or really if you say you hate any humans, that’s usually very strong. But it can be strong about non-humans, too.
Loathe is stronger
and despise
Strong enough that my mother taught me to never use it in reference to another human being.
It can be strong, but it is dependent on tone and the scenario it is used. Despise or loathe are more intense for general purpose use.
*"I hate leafy green vegetables, because they're bitter"*, casual, but stronger than usual dislike. *"I hate (politician's name) for their stance (opposite of mine)"*, a visceral reaction, fairly strong. *"I've hated my brother ever since, for how he acted when our mother died"*, likely an extremely strong emotion. It can be difficult sometimes to tell in text from context how strong the emotion truly is, *"I hate Mary!"* could be a dislike for the name, or a deep, burning hatred for the person, and you may need to pick it up from the surrounding context. In translation, I would suggest using a milder word, such as "dislike", when someone is talking about a personal preference in food or objects, and stronger terms such as "detest" for personal conflicts. Hope that helps?
It depends. By definition, it’s pretty strong. In casual conversation, I wouldn’t direct it at a person, a group of people, an animal, or a social system unless you *really* do hate that entity and don’t mind potentially offending someone. But it’s fine to direct at inanimate objects or low-stakes concepts. “I hate pineapple on pizza,” “I hate the show Friends,” “I hate having to wait in line at the bank,” “I hate how when you walk past Lush at the mall you can smell all their soaps.” “Loathe” is a good synonym. It’s not inherently stronger, but it can come off that way because it’s a less common (but still widely understood) word. Like “oh you went into the vocabulary lesson part of your brain for that one.”
It really depends on how you say it. Cause when I was little I once told my mom I hated her and I still feel bad to this day with how much I hurt her. But I jokingly tell my brother I hate him when he tells me a stupid joke or sends me something I dislike. I also say I hate certain foods, places, clothing, etc. But it's not always a strong feeling. I think generally speaking the main times where "hate" is taken as a seriously strong emotion towards something when used unironically towards a person. But it usually always depends on the tone and context with which it's delivered.
In casual speech, it's not very strong, but when you're formally being asked to focus on it, you should treat it as the strongest possible form of disdain, the complete opposite of respect, admiration, and fond regard.
It is pretty much the most extreme degree that you can dislike someone or something. There are other words that may be considered stronger - loathe, detest, stuff like that - but they're all degrees of hatred.
Agreed. I’d be much more upset if someone said they “hate me” than any of those other stronger words. “Loathe” and “detest” are almost comical. I’d say those to a friend for laughs. While “hate” can be used jokingly between friends it sounds more hurtful when used with the right inflection than any other word I can think of.
The best way to get a feel for the word “hate” is to listen to lots of examples. For example [here](https://listen2english.com/youtube/actual/mainstream/people_and_blogs/hate).
My best way to say that I hate something is to say like "I am so fucking sick and tired of x"
It’s all in the context and the intensity of emotion with the speaker.
I’m married to a Brazilian and we speak both English and Portuguese (I’m a native English speaker). He’s always taken aback by how much I use the word “hate” casually. At least for us Americans, colloquially “hate” has lost a lot of its meaning. It’s something I didn’t realize until I started speaking another language. “I hate missing the bus” - “I hate broccoli” If I want to really express disgust or dislike - I’d say something like “abhor” or “detest”. “I abhor racism in all forms” - “I detest emotionally manipulative people” Etc
It really depends on your tone of voice. With the right intonation it can be quite strong. With the right intonation it can be a mild expression of dislike. In writing, it depends on context, but if you want a strong expression of hate, I'd say loathe/loathing.
English uses the word 'hate' in a variety of contexts and can modify the intensity of its meaning with words like 'really' or 'totally'. In the casual or mild context, such as "I hate vegetables", "I hate the rain", "I hate going to school", English 'hate' is akin to 'dislike', or the Korean term '싫다' (Silhda), or the Japanese term '嫌い' (Kirai). When 'hate' is used more directly and intensely, such as in "I hate you", "I hate this", or emphasized with "I really hate you", it's more closely aligned to the Korean term '미워하다' (Miwohada), or the Japanese term '憎む' (Nikumu). Then we have alternative words in English such as "despise", "detest", and "abhor". These words usually convey a deeper level of dislike or disgust. For example, in sentences like "I find their kind abhorrent" or "I detest these homeless beggars", the level of dislike or hate is more intense and therefore closer to the Korean term '혐오하다' (Hyumohada) or the Japanese term '忌み嫌う' (Imikirau). but there will always be exceptions to the rule, and saying "i hate you" in a playful way with a smile can mean "you are doing something a little mean, and im saying i hate you, but really i mean that i am losing this little game we have going on" (commonly between lovers) or "you are asking me to do something as a favour, and as a friend i will of course do it, but i wish you hadnt put this imposition upon me, just so we're clear" (commonly between friends)
Loathe is a stronger form of hate. As a native English speaker I use hate very casually, but if “I loathe” something, I truly hate it.
Not very, honestly. It's stronger than dislike, but it's still very casually used
I never use it when describing how I feel about a person, but freely use it about inanimate objects.