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As I understand them, when used as nouns they both mean the same: a strong feeling of dislike, but I'm not sure about how "intense" are each one related to the other.

Does one of them represent a stronger feeling than the other, or their difference resides more in the context where they are used?

3 Answers 3

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Hate and hatred, when used as nouns, have the same meaning. The difference between them is that hate is also used as modifier (e.g. a hate campaign), while hatred is not used as modifier (as it would be in a hatred campaign).

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    By modifier, do you mean adjective?
    – mcalex
    Commented Jan 26, 2013 at 3:44
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    I mean a noun that is used as attribute of another noun. A modifier precedes the noun that modifies, and it can be an adjective, such as in good family house. (Both good and family are modifiers of house).
    – avpaderno
    Commented Jan 26, 2013 at 4:23
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    hate can be used as a noun? So I could say my hate? Commented Feb 6, 2013 at 15:31
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    @JonathandeM. Hate is a verb, and a noun. In feelings of hate and revenge, hate is a noun. I am not sure about saying my hate, but I guess it is like saying my dislike. If one is acceptable, then also the other one should be acceptable. Probably it should be my hating, and my disliking.
    – avpaderno
    Commented Feb 6, 2013 at 15:39
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    hatred campaign is perfectly grammatical. There are no nouns that cannot be clumped with other nouns to make a noun phrase.
    – Kaz
    Commented Oct 20, 2013 at 16:08
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Hate is the verb, hatred the noun. Hate is also used as a noun, but hatred is not a verb.

From an intensity viewpoint, and when used in a noun context, there is no difference i.e. hate = hatred.

The hate he felt for her matched the hatred she felt for him. You could switch the two words around in that sentence with no difference to the meaning.

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rule of thumb for English: no two different words have the same meaning.

I use 'hate' as a noun only when modifying another noun, e.g.: hate speech or hate crime.

While people are using 'hate' as a standalone noun more today than before, possibly thanks to the incessant use of it as a standalone noun by groups such as ADL, 'hatred' is always valid as the standalone noun where 'hate' could be.

So for sake of clarity I suggest using 'hatred' unless you are modifying another noun.

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