Hate is one of the most intense and powerful emotions a person can experience, and while it’s not a feeling we often celebrate, it still plays a huge role in how we speak and express ourselves. One of the most fascinating ways people communicate dislike or anger is through idioms—those colorful phrases that paint emotion with words and bring strong feelings to life in everyday speech.
Whether it’s frustration, bitterness, resentment, or full-blown anger, idioms for hate help us describe complex emotions with just a few vivid words. These phrases show up in conversations, movies, books, and even songs, giving people a way to say what’s on their mind without spelling it out literally. In this post, you’ll explore 58 common idioms related to hate, with clear meanings, long example sentences, and alternative ways to express the same idea—all in a format that’s both educational and fun to read.
Idioms for Hate
1. Have a bone to pick
Meaning: To have an unresolved issue or a reason to be angry with someone.
In a Sentence: After what happened last week during the meeting, I still have a serious bone to pick with Mark because he completely dismissed my ideas in front of everyone without even listening.
Other Ways to Say: Have an issue, Want to confront
2. Rub someone the wrong way
Meaning: To unintentionally annoy or irritate someone deeply.
In a Sentence: The way she constantly interrupts people when they’re talking really rubs me the wrong way, and it makes me want to avoid her during group discussions.
Other Ways to Say: Annoy, Bother
3. At each other’s throats
Meaning: To constantly argue or fight with someone in a hostile way.
In a Sentence: Ever since the two roommates moved in together, they’ve been at each other’s throats over everything from dirty dishes to loud music, and it’s starting to affect everyone around them.
Other Ways to Say: Fighting nonstop, Constantly arguing
4. Get under someone’s skin
Meaning: To irritate or provoke someone emotionally and persistently.
In a Sentence: I try to stay calm, but the way he constantly criticizes everything I do really gets under my skin and makes it hard for me to focus.
Other Ways to Say: Bother deeply, Aggravate
5. Bear a grudge
Meaning: To continue feeling angry or bitter about something for a long time.
In a Sentence: Even though it happened years ago, he still bears a grudge against his old boss for firing him without any real explanation or warning.
Other Ways to Say: Stay mad at, Not forgive
6. Go ballistic
Meaning: To suddenly become extremely angry, often uncontrollably.
In a Sentence: When he realized someone had scratched his brand-new car in the parking lot, he went completely ballistic and started shouting in the middle of the street.
Other Ways to Say: Explode with rage, Lose it
7. Have it in for someone
Meaning: To hold a lasting dislike or intention to harm someone emotionally or professionally.
In a Sentence: It’s obvious that the new manager has it in for me because no matter how hard I work, she never acknowledges my efforts and always finds something wrong.
Other Ways to Say: Be out to get, Dislike
8. Blow a fuse
Meaning: To lose one’s temper very quickly and become verbally explosive.
In a Sentence: I tried to stay calm during the meeting, but when he accused me of lying, I blew a fuse and let everyone know exactly what I thought of his behavior.
Other Ways to Say: Lose temper, Get furious
9. A chip on your shoulder
Meaning: A defensive or aggressive attitude due to feeling wronged or offended.
In a Sentence: Ever since he didn’t get the promotion, he’s been walking around with a chip on his shoulder, ready to argue with anyone who even slightly disagrees with him.
Other Ways to Say: Be defensive, Be angry
10. Blood boils
Meaning: To feel intense anger and frustration that builds up inside.
In a Sentence: Every time I hear him mock people behind their backs, it makes my blood boil because I can’t stand hypocrites or bullies.
Other Ways to Say: Get furious, Burn with anger
11. See red
Meaning: To suddenly feel so angry that you lose control of your emotions.
In a Sentence: I was trying to stay composed, but when she laughed at my idea during the presentation, I saw red and had to leave the room to calm down.
Other Ways to Say: Snap with rage, Become furious
12. Drive someone crazy
Meaning: To irritate or upset someone so much that they feel mentally overwhelmed.
In a Sentence: The constant dripping of that leaky faucet drives me absolutely crazy, especially when I’m trying to fall asleep after a long day.
Other Ways to Say: Irritate endlessly, Aggravate
13. Have a short fuse
Meaning: To get angry easily and react strongly to small things.
In a Sentence: Be careful what you say around him—he has a short fuse and tends to blow up over the tiniest issues, even when no harm was meant.
Other Ways to Say: Quick temper, Easily angered
14. Cold shoulder
Meaning: To deliberately ignore someone as a way of expressing dislike.
In a Sentence: After I confronted her about the rumor, she started giving me the cold shoulder and acting like I didn’t even exist.
Other Ways to Say: Ignore, Be dismissive
15. Give someone a piece of your mind
Meaning: To speak to someone angrily about something that upset you.
In a Sentence: After the rude comment he made in front of everyone, I gave him a serious piece of my mind and told him exactly why what he said was unacceptable.
Other Ways to Say: Scold, Confront angrily
16. At odds with
Meaning: In a state of disagreement or conflict that causes tension.
In a Sentence: He’s been at odds with his coworker for months now, and it’s making team meetings uncomfortable and unproductive for everyone involved.
Other Ways to Say: Not getting along, In conflict
17. Cut someone off
Meaning: To abruptly end communication or relationship with someone due to anger or betrayal.
In a Sentence: After everything she did and the lies she told, I had no choice but to cut her off completely and move on with my life.
Other Ways to Say: End ties, Break off contact
18. Burn with resentment
Meaning: To feel a deep, lingering bitterness or anger about something unfair.
In a Sentence: Even after all this time, he still burns with resentment every time someone mentions the opportunity he lost because of his former teammate’s betrayal.
Other Ways to Say: Feel bitter, Hold hatred
19. Bite someone’s head off
Meaning: To respond harshly or angrily to someone, especially when unprovoked.
In a Sentence: I just asked him how his day was going, and he bit my head off like I’d done something horrible, which really caught me off guard.
Other Ways to Say: Yell at, Snap at
20. Not see eye to eye
Meaning: To disagree with someone and have conflicting views that create tension.
In a Sentence: No matter how many times we talk about it, we just don’t see eye to eye on how the project should be done, which makes it hard to collaborate.
Other Ways to Say: Disagree completely, Clash in opinion
21. Be at war with someone
Meaning: To be in a serious and ongoing state of conflict or hatred.
In a Sentence: Ever since the incident at the family reunion, they’ve been at war with each other, refusing to speak or even acknowledge one another at any event.
Other Ways to Say: Deep conflict, Constant hostility
22. Burn someone up
Meaning: To make someone feel intensely angry or frustrated.
In a Sentence: It really burns me up when people cut in line as if their time is more valuable than everyone else’s.
Other Ways to Say: Infuriate, Make furious
23. Be fed up with
Meaning: To be extremely irritated or tired of something or someone.
In a Sentence: I’m completely fed up with the way he keeps interrupting me during meetings, and I’m seriously considering bringing it up with HR.
Other Ways to Say: Had enough, Sick of it
24. Push someone’s buttons
Meaning: To deliberately provoke someone into getting angry.
In a Sentence: She always knows exactly how to push his buttons and make him lose his temper, especially when she brings up his past mistakes.
Other Ways to Say: Provoke, Instigate
25. Blow your top
Meaning: To lose your temper in a sudden outburst.
In a Sentence: I tried to keep calm, but when I saw the mess in the kitchen after asking them to clean, I blew my top and yelled at everyone in the house.
Other Ways to Say: Snap, Erupt in anger
26. Make your blood run cold
Meaning: To fill someone with horror, disgust, or deep anger.
In a Sentence: The way he laughed after saying something so cruel made my blood run cold, and I realized I couldn’t trust him at all.
Other Ways to Say: Horrify, Deeply disturb
27. Get bent out of shape
Meaning: To become upset or angry about something minor.
In a Sentence: He got all bent out of shape just because I forgot to save his seat at the movie, and now he won’t even answer my texts.
Other Ways to Say: Overreact, Get upset
28. Have no love lost
Meaning: To mutually dislike each other strongly.
In a Sentence: There’s no love lost between those two politicians—they criticize each other constantly and avoid being seen together.
Other Ways to Say: Dislike deeply, Share hatred
29. Be on bad terms
Meaning: To have a negative or hostile relationship.
In a Sentence: Ever since the business deal went wrong, he’s been on bad terms with his former partner, and they haven’t exchanged a single word.
Other Ways to Say: Not friendly, At odds
30. Spit venom
Meaning: To say something cruel, mean, or full of hatred.
In a Sentence: She spat venom at her ex in front of everyone, revealing just how much anger she had bottled up over the years.
Other Ways to Say: Speak harshly, Lash out
31. Carry a torch against someone
Meaning: To hold long-lasting resentment or hatred toward a person.
In a Sentence: Even after all these years, he still carries a torch against his high school rival, refusing to let go of old jealousy.
Other Ways to Say: Remain bitter, Stay resentful
32. Fight like cats and dogs
Meaning: To argue or fight intensely and frequently.
In a Sentence: They may be siblings, but they fight like cats and dogs over the smallest things, from sharing chores to choosing a movie.
Other Ways to Say: Constantly argue, Clash
33. Throw shade
Meaning: To subtly or indirectly insult someone.
In a Sentence: During the meeting, she threw shade at him by mocking his idea without naming him, and everyone in the room noticed.
Other Ways to Say: Insult indirectly, Be sarcastic
34. Don’t see past your anger
Meaning: To be so consumed with hate that you can’t think clearly or calmly.
In a Sentence: She was so furious about the betrayal that she couldn’t see past her anger, even when her friend tried to apologize.
Other Ways to Say: Blinded by rage, Overwhelmed by emotion
35. Bite the hand that feeds you
Meaning: To hurt or betray someone who has helped you.
In a Sentence: He bit the hand that fed him by spreading lies about the boss who had mentored him from the beginning.
Other Ways to Say: Betray support, Show ingratitude
36. Throw someone under the bus
Meaning: To sacrifice someone else to protect yourself, often out of selfishness or dislike.
In a Sentence: During the interview, she threw me under the bus by blaming the entire mistake on me, even though we were equally responsible.
Other Ways to Say: Betray, Blame unfairly
37. Hate someone’s guts
Meaning: To despise someone intensely and with great passion.
In a Sentence: I know it sounds harsh, but I really hate his guts after everything he did to manipulate and deceive our team.
Other Ways to Say: Loathe, Despise
38. Have daggers in your eyes
Meaning: To look at someone with extreme hatred or anger.
In a Sentence: When she walked into the room, he looked at her with daggers in his eyes, making it painfully obvious how he felt.
Other Ways to Say: Glare angrily, Give hateful looks
39. Turn your back on someone
Meaning: To deliberately ignore or reject someone, often out of dislike.
In a Sentence: After years of friendship, she turned her back on me without any explanation, which hurt more than any argument ever could.
Other Ways to Say: Abandon, Reject
40. Stir the pot
Meaning: To provoke or intensify conflict on purpose.
In a Sentence: He knew exactly what he was doing when he brought up that old argument again—he just wanted to stir the pot and watch people fight.
Other Ways to Say: Cause trouble, Instigate drama
41. Cut to the bone
Meaning: To hurt someone deeply with words or actions.
In a Sentence: His criticism about my character wasn’t just harsh—it cut to the bone and stayed with me for days because I thought we were close.
Other Ways to Say: Deeply wound, Cause emotional pain
42. Burn with rage
Meaning: To feel overwhelming and uncontrollable anger.
In a Sentence: I burned with rage as I watched him take credit for my work without even acknowledging my contributions in the meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Seethe with anger, Fume
43. Stew in your own anger
Meaning: To remain silently furious, often replaying the cause over and over.
In a Sentence: After our fight, I didn’t call him back; I just let him stew in his own anger, hoping he’d finally reflect on what he said.
Other Ways to Say: Dwell in anger, Brood
44. Have a black heart
Meaning: To be full of cruelty, malice, or hatred.
In a Sentence: The way he intentionally sabotaged her chances at the promotion showed me he truly has a black heart with no remorse for hurting others.
Other Ways to Say: Be cruel, Have evil intentions
45. Lash out
Meaning: To respond aggressively due to built-up anger or resentment.
In a Sentence: She lashed out at her friends not because of what they said, but because of all the hurt she had bottled up from the past year.
Other Ways to Say: Attack emotionally, Snap aggressively
46. Hold a torch against someone
Meaning: To harbor bitterness or hate toward someone over time.
In a Sentence: Even now, she holds a torch against her former friend, unable to forgive the betrayal that shattered their years-long friendship.
Other Ways to Say: Remain angry, Not forgive
47. Be poison to someone
Meaning: To be toxic or harmful emotionally, often due to hatred or cruelty.
In a Sentence: Their relationship turned so bitter that just being near each other felt like poison—they couldn’t speak without things getting ugly.
Other Ways to Say: Be toxic, Emotionally damaging
48. Be a thorn in someone’s side
Meaning: To be a persistent and irritating problem for someone.
In a Sentence: Ever since she joined the team, she’s been a thorn in my side, criticizing my every move and making collaboration impossible.
Other Ways to Say: Constant annoyance, Ongoing trouble
49. Fan the flames
Meaning: To make a heated situation worse or more intense.
In a Sentence: Instead of calming the argument, he fanned the flames by bringing up past conflicts and fueling more tension in the room.
Other Ways to Say: Escalate conflict, Intensify anger
50. Ice someone out
Meaning: To completely exclude or ignore someone out of dislike or hate.
In a Sentence: After the falling out, the whole group iced her out at lunch, pretending she didn’t even exist.
Other Ways to Say: Freeze out, Exclude coldly
51. Be full of spite
Meaning: To be filled with malice and a desire to hurt others emotionally.
In a Sentence: He was so full of spite that he couldn’t celebrate anyone’s success without making a bitter comment.
Other Ways to Say: Be mean-spirited, Harbor hate
52. Be green with envy and red with hate
Meaning: To feel both jealousy and deep hatred at once.
In a Sentence: She was green with envy over her coworker’s raise and red with hate that it hadn’t been offered to her instead.
Other Ways to Say: Envious and angry, Filled with resentment
53. Make someone’s skin crawl
Meaning: To deeply disturb or disgust someone.
In a Sentence: The way he talks about people behind their backs makes my skin crawl, and I find it hard to be around him.
Other Ways to Say: Creep out, Disgust
54. Twist the knife
Meaning: To make someone’s pain worse by adding cruelty.
In a Sentence: She already felt terrible, but he twisted the knife by reminding her how everyone had doubted her from the start.
Other Ways to Say: Deepen the hurt, Add insult to injury
55. Break someone’s spirit
Meaning: To hurt someone emotionally so deeply that it affects their confidence or will.
In a Sentence: His constant criticism didn’t just frustrate her—it broke her spirit and made her doubt herself more than ever.
Other Ways to Say: Crush emotionally, Demoralize
56. Set your teeth on edge
Meaning: To strongly irritate or provoke a physical reaction due to hate or discomfort.
In a Sentence: That smug tone in his voice always sets my teeth on edge—it’s like nails on a chalkboard to me.
Other Ways to Say: Grate on nerves, Deeply irritate
57. Hold someone in contempt
Meaning: To view someone with deep disrespect or hatred.
In a Sentence: She holds him in complete contempt after discovering how he manipulated everyone just to get ahead.
Other Ways to Say: Despise, Deeply disrespect
58. Cast someone out
Meaning: To reject or exile someone due to hate or rejection.
In a Sentence: Once the truth came out, the group cast him out and made sure he was no longer part of their plans or conversations.
Other Ways to Say: Expel, Ostracize
Practical Exercise
Fill in the blanks below using the idioms you’ve just learned:
- She kept bringing up his old mistakes to ________ and make him feel worse.
- He didn’t just lie—his actions ________ and made everyone lose trust in him.
- Ever since they stopped talking, she’s been ________ him at every event.
- The tone in her voice ________, and I had to leave the room.
- He looked at me like he had ________, and I knew we’d never be friends again.
- They’ve been ________ for so long, I forgot what they’re even fighting about.
- The way he twisted the truth in front of the class made my ________.
- No one talks to her anymore because the group basically ________.
- You don’t have to ________—we already know I was wrong.
- She still ________ that teacher even though it’s been five years.
Answer Key:
- Twist the knife
- Cut to the bone
- Icing out
- Set my teeth on edge
- Daggers in his eyes
- At war
- Blood boil
- Cast her out
- Rub it in
- Bears a grudge
Conclusion
Hate is a powerful emotion, and sometimes words just aren’t enough to express what we’re feeling—until idioms step in and paint the full picture. These vivid, emotionally charged phrases help us give voice to deep frustrations, long-held grudges, and moments when we just can’t hold back how we feel.
By learning and using idioms like the ones in this post, you gain not only stronger vocabulary but also a more powerful way to express complex emotions in both writing and conversation. Keep practicing these expressions, and over time, they’ll become a natural part of your communication—helping you say more with fewer words, and say it with impact.