Idioms are expressive phrases that weave figurative language into our conversations, adding depth and emotion to how we describe feelings like hate, disdain, or animosity. When discussing strong negative emotions, these idioms provide a colorful way to convey resentment, frustration, or contempt without being overly direct. In this extensive listicle, we’ll explore 48 idioms related to hate, unravel their meanings, and demonstrate how they can bring nuance and intensity to discussions about dislike or hostility. Whether you’re venting about a frustrating situation or describing a deep-seated grudge, these idioms will enrich your language and make your expressions more vivid and relatable.
What is an Idiom for Hate?
Idioms for hate are metaphorical expressions that describe feelings of intense dislike, anger, or aversion toward a person, situation, or thing. These phrases often use imagery to capture the emotional weight of hatred, making conversations about negative feelings more engaging and impactful. From holding a grudge to seeing red, each idiom offers a unique perspective on the experience of hate. Let’s dive into this comprehensive list of 48 idioms, explore their meanings, and provide examples to show how they can be used in everyday scenarios to express disdain or frustration.
Idioms for Hate
1. Hold a Grudge
Meaning: To harbor persistent resentment or ill feelings toward someone due to a past wrong or offense.
In a Sentence: Even after years had passed, she continued to hold a grudge against her former friend for betraying her trust during their school days.
2. See Red
Meaning: To become extremely angry or enraged, often to the point of losing control.
In a Sentence: When he discovered that his colleague had taken credit for his project, he saw red and had to take a moment to calm down before confronting them.
3. Have It In for Someone
Meaning: To feel a strong dislike or desire to harm or cause trouble for a specific person.
In a Sentence: Ever since the argument at the meeting, it seemed like the manager had it in for her, constantly criticizing her work unfairly.
4. Can’t Stand
Meaning: To have a strong dislike or intolerance for someone or something.
In a Sentence: She couldn’t stand the new intern’s habit of interrupting everyone during discussions, which made team meetings unbearable for her.
5. Rub Someone the Wrong Way
Meaning: To irritate or annoy someone, often due to a specific behavior or mannerism.
In a Sentence: His constant bragging about his accomplishments rubbed his coworkers the wrong way, making them reluctant to collaborate with him.
6. Get Under Someone’s Skin
Meaning: To irritate or annoy someone deeply, often in a way that lingers or provokes a strong emotional reaction.
In a Sentence: The way he always left dirty dishes in the sink got under her skin, fueling her frustration with her roommate day after day.
7. Hate Someone’s Guts
Meaning: To feel intense dislike or loathing for someone, often with a visceral emotional reaction.
In a Sentence: After he spread false rumors about her, she hated his guts and refused to speak to him ever again.
8. Make Your Blood Boil
Meaning: To cause intense anger or outrage, often due to an unjust or infuriating situation.
In a Sentence: Hearing about the company’s decision to ignore the safety concerns of its workers made her blood boil, prompting her to file a formal complaint.
9. Bad Blood
Meaning: A feeling of mutual hostility or resentment between two people or groups, often stemming from past conflicts.
In a Sentence: There was bad blood between the two families ever since the dispute over the property line escalated into a legal battle.
10. Look Down Your Nose
Meaning: To regard someone or something with disdain or a sense of superiority.
In a Sentence: She always looked down her nose at people who didn’t share her taste in fashion, treating them as if they were beneath her.
11. Turn Your Stomach
Meaning: To cause feelings of disgust or revulsion, often due to something morally or physically repulsive.
In a Sentence: The thought of him lying to everyone to get ahead turned her stomach, making it hard for her to even be in the same room with him.
12. Have a Bone to Pick
Meaning: To have a grievance or issue with someone that needs to be addressed or resolved.
In a Sentence: She had a bone to pick with her neighbor after they repeatedly parked in her designated spot without asking for permission.
13. Like Oil and Water
Meaning: To describe two people or things that are incompatible and cannot get along, often leading to conflict.
In a Sentence: Their personalities were like oil and water, clashing constantly and making it impossible for them to work together on the project.
14. Get Your Goat
Meaning: To annoy or irritate someone, often in a way that provokes a strong reaction.
In a Sentence: His constant whistling during the quiet study session got her goat, pushing her to finally ask him to stop.
15. Sick and Tired
Meaning: To be extremely fed up or exasperated with someone or something due to repeated annoyance.
In a Sentence: She was sick and tired of her coworker’s excuses for missing deadlines, which forced her to pick up the slack every time.
16. At Daggers Drawn
Meaning: To be in a state of intense hostility or conflict with someone, ready to fight or argue.
In a Sentence: The two politicians were at daggers drawn during the debate, each refusing to concede any ground to the other.
17. Loathe with a Passion
Meaning: To feel an intense, almost obsessive hatred for someone or something.
In a Sentence: He loathed with a passion the idea of working overtime on weekends, as it took away from his time with his family.
18. Grind Your Gears
Meaning: To cause irritation or frustration, often due to a specific action or behavior.
In a Sentence: The way he always interrupted her presentations really ground her gears, making it hard for her to stay professional.
19. Spit Venom
Meaning: To speak with intense hatred or malice, often in a way that is verbally aggressive.
In a Sentence: During the argument, she spat venom at her ex-partner, unleashing all the resentment she had bottled up for years.
20. Drive Up the Wall
Meaning: To annoy or frustrate someone to the point of exasperation or extreme irritation.
In a Sentence: His habit of tapping his pen incessantly during meetings drove her up the wall, making it impossible for her to focus.
21. Thorn in Your Side
Meaning: A person or thing that is a constant source of irritation or trouble.
In a Sentence: The malfunctioning printer was a thorn in her side, disrupting her workflow every time she needed to print important documents.
22. Hold in Contempt
Meaning: To regard someone or something with disdain or scorn, often due to perceived inferiority or wrongdoing.
In a Sentence: She held her dishonest colleague in contempt after discovering they had manipulated the data to make themselves look better.
23. Cut to the Quick
Meaning: To deeply hurt or offend someone, often by targeting their emotions or vulnerabilities.
In a Sentence: His harsh criticism of her work cut her to the quick, leaving her feeling humiliated in front of the entire team.
24. Bitter Pill to Swallow
Meaning: A difficult or unpleasant truth that is hard to accept but must be faced.
In a Sentence: Realizing that her best friend had been gossiping about her was a bitter pill to swallow, but it made her rethink their friendship.
25. Get Your Back Up Ascendancy
Meaning: To gain power or influence, often through unfair or dishonest means.
In a Sentence: He used his wealth and connections to ascendancy in the corporate world, stepping over anyone who stood in his way.
26. Like a Red Rag to a Bull
Meaning: Something that provokes an immediate and intense reaction, often anger or irritation.
In a Sentence: Mentioning his rival’s name was like a red rag to a bull, instantly setting him off into a furious rant.
27. Have No Time for
Meaning: To have no patience or tolerance for someone or something, often due to dislike or disdain.
In a Sentence: She had no time for people who made excuses instead of taking responsibility for their mistakes.
28. Make Your Skin Crawl
Meaning: To cause feelings of discomfort, disgust, or unease, often due to something creepy or repulsive.
In a Sentence: The way he stared at her without blinking made her skin crawl, prompting her to leave the room quickly.
29. Out of Favor
Meaning: To be disliked or no longer supported by someone, often due to a specific action or behavior.
In a Sentence: After missing several deadlines, he fell out of favor with the boss, who no longer trusted him with important tasks.
30. Give the Cold Shoulder
Meaning: To deliberately ignore or treat someone with aloofness or disdain.
In a Sentence: After their argument, she gave him the cold shoulder, refusing to acknowledge his attempts to apologize.
31. Turn Your Nose Up
Meaning: To reject or dismiss something with disdain, often due to a sense of superiority.
In a Sentence: She turned her nose up at the budget-friendly restaurant, insisting they dine somewhere more upscale.
32. Have a Chip on Your Shoulder
Meaning: To carry a sense of resentment or grievance, often leading to a readiness to take offense.
In a Sentence: He had a chip on his shoulder about being overlooked for the promotion, which made him defensive in every team meeting.
33. Beneath Contempt
Meaning: To be so despicable or unworthy that they do not even deserve scorn or attention.
In a Sentence: His attempt to justify his cheating was beneath contempt, and she refused to engage in further discussion with him.
34. Look Down Upon
Meaning: To regard someone or something as inferior or unworthy of respect.
In a Sentence: The elite group looked down upon anyone who didn’t share their privileged background, treating them with subtle disdain.
35. Hard Feelings
Meaning: Lingering resentment or bitterness caused by a past conflict or offense.
In a Sentence: Even though they had reconciled, there were still hard feelings between them, making their interactions tense and awkward.
36. Take a Dim View
Meaning: To regard something or someone with disapproval or skepticism.
In a Sentence: She took a dim view of his constant excuses, suspecting he was simply unwilling to put in the effort required.
37. At Loggerheads
Meaning: To be in a state of disagreement or conflict with someone, often stubbornly refusing to compromise.
In a Sentence: The two department heads were at loggerheads over the budget allocation, each insisting their team deserved more funding.
38. Cast Aspersions
Meaning: To make false or damaging statements about someone’s character or reputation.
In a Sentence: He cast aspersions on her integrity by suggesting she had cheated to win the competition, despite having no evidence.
39. Bear a Grudge
Meaning: To maintain feelings of resentment or anger toward someone for a past wrong.
In a Sentence: She bore a grudge against her former boss for unfairly passing her over for a promotion years ago.
40. Give Short Shrift
Meaning: To dismiss or deal with someone or something quickly and with little consideration.
In a Sentence: He gave short shrift to her complaints, brushing them off as unimportant without even listening fully.
41. Poison the Well
Meaning: To spread negative information or opinions about someone to undermine their credibility or reputation.
In a Sentence: Before the new employee even started, her rival poisoned the well by spreading rumors about her work ethic.
42. Scorn and Derision
Meaning: A combination of contempt and mockery directed at someone or something deemed unworthy.
In a Sentence: His outdated proposal was met with scorn and derision from the board, who dismissed it as irrelevant.
43. Hold in Low Regard
Meaning: To have little respect or esteem for someone or something.
In a Sentence: She held her dishonest competitor in low regard, refusing to engage in any business dealings with them.
44. Kick to the Curb
Meaning: To reject or dismiss someone or something harshly, often with disdain.
In a Sentence: After his repeated betrayals, she finally kicked him to the curb, cutting off all contact and moving on with her life.
45. Have an Axe to Grind
Meaning: To have a personal grievance or agenda that motivates criticism or opposition toward someone.
In a Sentence: His constant complaints about the new policy showed he had an axe to grind, stemming from his earlier disputes with management.
46. Throw Shade
Meaning: To subtly express contempt or disrespect for someone, often through indirect comments or actions.
In a Sentence: She threw shade at her rival by sarcastically complimenting their “unique” approach to the project, implying it was flawed.
47. Speak Ill of
Meaning: To say negative or disparaging things about someone, often behind their back.
In a Sentence: He was warned not to speak ill of his colleagues, as it could damage team morale and his own reputation.
48. Turn Your Back On
Meaning: To reject, abandon, or show disdain for someone or something you previously supported.
In a Sentence: After feeling betrayed by the organization’s values, she turned her back on the group, refusing to participate in their events any longer.
Quizzes About The Idioms in The Article
Quiz 1: Hold a Grudge
What does the idiom “Hold a grudge” mean?
a) To forgive someone quickly
b) To harbor persistent resentment
c) To forget a past offense
d) To resolve a conflict amicably
Quiz 2: See Red
What is the meaning of “See red”?
a) To feel calm and relaxed
b) To become extremely angry
c) To notice something positive
d) To lose focus
Quiz 3: Can’t Stand
When someone says they “can’t stand” something, what are they expressing?
a) Strong dislike or intolerance
b) Mild appreciation
c) Neutral feelings
d) Enthusiastic support
Quiz 4: Make Your Blood Boil
What does the idiom “Make your blood boil” suggest?
a) To cause excitement and joy
b) To provoke intense anger
c) To inspire calmness
d) To encourage relaxation
Quiz 5: Bad Blood
What situation is described by the idiom “Bad blood”?
a) A harmonious relationship
b) Mutual hostility or resentment
c) A new friendship
d) A cooperative partnership
Quiz 6: Get Under Someone’s Skin
If something “gets under someone’s skin,” what does it mean?
a) It deeply irritates or annoys them
b) It makes them feel happy
c) It has no effect on them
d) It inspires them to act
Quiz 7: Hate Someone’s Guts
What does the expression “Hate someone’s guts” imply?
a) To admire someone deeply
b) To feel intense loathing for someone
c) To be indifferent to someone
d) To trust someone completely
Quiz 8: At Daggers Drawn
When is it appropriate to say, “At daggers drawn”?
a) When two people are collaborating
b) When two people are in intense conflict
c) When two people are indifferent
d) When two people are celebrating
Quiz 9: Thorn in Your Side
What is the meaning of “Thorn in your side”?
a) A source of constant irritation
b) A helpful ally
c) A minor inconvenience
d) A pleasant distraction
Quiz 10: Give the Cold Shoulder
When someone “gives the cold shoulder,” what are they doing?
a) Offering warm support
b) Deliberately ignoring or dismissing
c) Actively engaging
d) Providing constructive feedback
Answers:
- b
- b
- a
- b
- b
- a
- b
- b
- a
- b
Conclusion
Idioms for hate are powerful linguistic tools that allow you to express complex feelings of dislike, resentment, or frustration with vivid imagery and emotional depth. Whether you’re navigating a tense workplace dynamic, venting about a personal grievance, or simply describing an irritating situation, these 48 idioms offer creative and nuanced ways to articulate your emotions. By incorporating these phrases into your conversations, you can add intensity, clarity, and even a touch of humor to discussions about hate, making your expressions more memorable and impactful.