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Hate

For other meanings, see Hate (disambiguation).

Hate or hatred is an emotion of intense revulsion, distaste, enmity, or antipathy for a person, thing, or phenomenon; a desire to avoid, restrict, remove, or destroy its object.

Hatred can be based on fear of its object, justified or unjustified, or past negative consequences of dealing with that object. Hatred is often described as the opposite of love or friendship; others consider the opposite of love to be indifference. See love-hate relationship.

"Hate" or "hatred" are also used to describe feelings of prejudice or bigotry against a group of people, such as racism, religious prejudice, or homophobia, especially when these are particularly intense. Hate crimes are crimes committed out of hatred in this sense.

Last updated: 09-12-2005 02:39:13