Phrasal verb
hate on
Definition
phrasal verb. to criticize someone or something a lot, often in a way that seems unfair or mean. You use this when people are being negative about someone's success or style.
phrasal verb. to express intense dislike or criticism toward a person or entity, often without a constructive purpose; frequently used in social media contexts to describe targeted negativity.
Examples
“Why are you hating on her new shoes?”
“People started hating on the actor after he won the award, claiming he didn't deserve it.”
“The influencer decided to take a break from social media because strangers were constantly hating on her lifestyle choices and parenting style.”
Examples
simple
“Why are you hating on her new shoes?”
contextual
“People started hating on the actor after he won the award, claiming he didn't deserve it.”
complex
“The influencer decided to take a break from social media because strangers were constantly hating on her lifestyle choices and parenting style.”
Usage
transitive phrasal verb that requires a direct object — the person or thing being criticized.
Teaching tip
this is a modern, informal expression common in digital culture; contrast it with 'criticize' (formal) or 'dislike' (neutral) to show the difference in social weight.
Pitfall
Stop to hate on me.
Stop hating on me.
the verb 'stop' is followed by the gerund '-ing' form when ending an action.
Phrasal verb
Particles
on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
hate + on + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/hate-on