Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Hatred - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® (2024)

by ANGELA ACKERMAN

When it comes to emotion, sometimes we need a brainstorming nudge. After all, each character will express their feelings differently depending on their personality, emotional range, and comfort zone. We hope this short, sample list of expressions will help you better imagine how your character might show this emotion!

Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Hatred - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® (1)If you need to go deeper, we have detailed lists of body language, visceral sensations, dialogue cues, and mental responses for 130 emotions in the 2019 expanded second edition of The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression.

HATRED

  • Forearm muscles appearing cut from stone
  • Thoughts of violence, playing out fantasies of violence or humiliation
  • Bitter, seething words meant to provoke
  • A black mood that no one can dispel
  • A pinched face, frigid features, mouth twisted into a snarl or sneer
  • Spitting in someone’s face, at their feet or in their direction
  • Rash decisions, impaired judgment
  • Single-minded focus on how to destroy another
  • Starting hateful gossip
  • An inability to enjoy positive things or happiness
  • Angry tears
  • Cursing, swearing
  • A scathing tone
  • A shaking, rage-filled voice
  • Promising or declaring to another that you will destroy them/make them pay…

Win your readers’ hearts by tailoring your character’s emotional responses so they’re compelling, credible, and realistic.

Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Hatred - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® (2)

If you struggle with writing emotions, you aren’t alone. The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression has helped writers all over the globe, and it can help you. To find out more about this bestselling book, please visit our bookstore.

Prefer the flexibility of instant online access and greater searchability?

Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Hatred - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® (3)The Emotion Thesaurus is also at our sister site,One Stop for Writers. Visit the Emotion Thesaurus Page to view our complete list of entries.

TIP: While you’re there, check out our hyper-intelligent Character Builder that helps you create deep, memorable characters in half the time!

Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Hatred - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® (4)

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

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  1. Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Hatred - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® (6)Marilyn says

    I find this list interesting and informative. I didn’t know there were so many ways to define hatred. Many people would probably write – he was seething with hatred – but just saying that doesn’t properly define the characters experience and motivation now does it?

  2. Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Hatred - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® (7)Angela says

    Thanks so much for visiting, everyone!

  3. Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Hatred - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® (8)Tina says

    I swear, once you have all these done, the first thing I thought of was “my that would be a great book”. I wish your blog well and tons of traffic because its one of the most interesting ones I have read lately.
    Thanks for the invitation, and the comfy chair.

  4. Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Hatred - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® (9)WendyCinNYC says

    I’m going to bookmark this blog too. Nice job.

  5. Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Hatred - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® (10)colbymarshall says

    vendetta…yes, I have one of those. I love the hatred thesaurus (is that strange?)! Thanks for the post.

  6. Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Hatred - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® (11)auria cortes says

    I book marked this blog. Excellent work.

  7. Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Hatred - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® (13)Kelly - PTT says

    This is AWESOME! What a great focus for your blog! And you’re very good at finding excellent ways to write the same emotion. Thanks so much!

  8. Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Hatred - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® (14)Becca says

    We’re glad to have you, Grace :).

  9. Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Hatred - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® (15)~grace~ says

    oh my goodness, these “emotion thesaurus” things are fantastic. I’m glad I found you guys. 🙂

  10. Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Hatred - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® (16)Angela says

    Thanks for stopping by! Yes, we blog a few posts each week, rather than daily. Our Thesaurus is always posted on Thursdays, however.

    When this one is complete, we’ll start a new one that highlights a different area of description that writers may struggle with. Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂

  11. Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Hatred - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® (17)Razib Ahmed says

    Wow, so many things are related to “Hatred”. Thanks for it. I spent 5 minutes reading it. You have an interesting blog but the entries are a bit sporadic.

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Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Hatred - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® (2024)

FAQs

How to describe hatred in creative writing? ›

HATRED
  1. Forearm muscles appearing cut from stone.
  2. Thoughts of violence, playing out fantasies of violence or humiliation.
  3. Bitter, seething words meant to provoke.
  4. A black mood that no one can dispel.
  5. A pinched face, frigid features, mouth twisted into a snarl or sneer.

What is the emotion of hate? ›

Hatred or hate is an intense negative emotional response towards certain people, things or ideas, usually related to opposition or revulsion toward something. Hatred is often associated with intense feelings of anger, contempt, and disgust. Hatred is sometimes seen as the opposite of love.

What is another word for emotions in writing? ›

Some common synonyms of emotion are affection, feeling, passion, and sentiment.

What is the term for emotional writing? ›

Emotive Language. So what exactly is “emotive language”? Emotive language is the use of descriptive words, often adjectives, that can show the reader how an author or character feels about something, evoke an emotional response from the reader, and persuade the reader of something.

What is a strong feeling of hatred toward something called? ›

Synonym Study

Aversion, antipathy, loathing connote strong dislike or detestation. Aversion is an unreasoning desire to avoid that which displeases, annoys, or offends: an aversion to (or toward ) cats. Antipathy is a distaste, dislike, or disgust toward something: an antipathy toward (or for ) braggarts.

How do you describe someone who is annoyed in writing? ›

Use repetition or interruptions in dialogue to reflect the character's frustration or impatience. Incorporate physical actions that show annoyance, like tapping a foot or clenching fists.

What emotion is stronger than hate? ›

Only two emotions—love and hate—can be accurately and conclusively described and expressed, and they have been that way since the beginning of time. Love is the foundation of our being, and love is what sustains us. Our identity is derived from love.

What is the root emotion of hate? ›

What is hate? Hate is an intense emotion often rooted in fear, mistrust, powerlessness, or vulnerability. It can be difficult to address, as its roots run deeper than emotions like anger, disgust, or vengefulness.

Is hate an emotion or feeling? ›

Hate has been described widely as an emotion, but also as an attitude or a sentiment. Some scholars think that hate is an extreme version of anger or dislike; some describe hate as a blend of emotions such as anger, contempt and disgust; and others regard hate as a distinct and unique feeling.

How do you describe being uncomfortable in writing? ›

4 Answers
  1. Stuttering / repeating yourself / lacking or missing words.
  2. quick/uneasy breathing.
  3. using or positioning your hands/arms/legs differently.
  4. looking around quickly/without focus.
  5. paying attention to certain details, either relevant or not.
  6. sweating.
  7. the list goes on...
Apr 16, 2017

How to describe reactions in writing? ›

A full reaction goes beyond a physical response like, “She stared” or “Her eyes blazed.” (In fact, I would encourage you not to make your characters' eyes do that much work. ) Instead, use a combination of physical clues, dialogue, and rich interiority . Indicate both how it's going and what comes next.

How do you describe emotions in literature? ›

How to Describe Emotion THROUGH ACTIONS. One tool is to describe emotion through a character's actions. For instance, the fourth grader who is walking home slowly, dragging his backpack, tennis shoes scuffing the sidewalk, eyes focused on the ground in front of him—is he pleased or bummed about the day he just had?

Which literary term refers to the emotion in a narrative? ›

The tone of a piece of literature is the speaker's or narrator's attitude towards the subject, rather than what the reader feels, as in mood. Mood is the general feeling or atmosphere that a piece of writing creates within the reader.

What are the emotions in fiction writing? ›

Characters in fiction come alive when readers can identify with their emotional experiences. Love, fear, joy, sorrow – these emotions provide a window into the inner world of characters, making them more believable, relatable, and three-dimensional.

How to describe desire in writing? ›

The best way for writing desire in a way that makes readers feel invested is to write around it. Instead of using just a single word, use language that hints at something simmering below the surface. That way, you build tension for your readers, making them invested in the outcome of your characters' relationships.

How do you describe someone hatred? ›

Deplore: Express strong disapproval of, dislike intensely. Despise: Loathe or look down upon. Revulsion: Dislike intensely; feel antipathy or aversion towards. Scoff: Treat with contemptuous disregard;regard with disgust and hatred.

How do you describe hatred in a sentence? ›

Hatred is more often used to describe a very strong feeling of dislike for a particular person or thing: Her deep hatred of her sister was obvious. a cat's hatred of water.

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