noun
hater
HAY-tuh
noun
1
Someone who hates or strongly dislikes something.
"He's not a hater of the sport itself, just of how it's run."
"The novel found few haters among critics."
2
Someone who criticises or puts others down, often out of jealousy rather than genuine reason.
"Ignore the haters and keep posting your work."
"She brushed off the comments, calling the posters haters."
How to Use Hater
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA person who hates something, or in slang, someone who constantly criticises others out of envy.
When to use it
The "jealous critic" sense is informal, popularised through hip-hop and internet slang from the 1990s onward.
Common pairings
ignore the haters
a hater of
gonna hate (haters gonna hate)
Word Forms
haters plural
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He's not a _____ of the sport itself, just of how it's run.
Etymology
From Old English roots meaning "one who hates" — hate plus the agent suffix -er, the same pattern as "singer" from "sing."