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Prepositions after adjectives

Hateful: to, towards, or of?

Hateful usually takes to when describing something unpleasant or offensive to a person. Hateful towards appears in some contexts about hostile attitudes. Hateful of is not standard.

Quick answer

Use hateful to in most cases

Use hateful to for something unpleasant, offensive, or deeply disliked by someone. Hateful towards can describe hostile behaviour or feelings directed at someone, although hatefully towards or hostile towards is often more natural. Hateful of is not idiomatic English.

The smell was hateful to everyone in the room.
His comments were hateful towards immigrants.
That tone sounded hateful to me.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
hateful to + person

Describing something offensive or unpleasant

Use hateful to for things that cause strong dislike or offence.

The noise was hateful to the neighbours.
Such language is hateful to many readers.
2
hateful towards + group/person

Describing hostile attitudes

Hateful towards can describe openly hostile feelings or behaviour directed at others.

The speech was hateful towards minority groups.
He became hateful towards his former colleagues.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
hateful to
The remark was hateful to the audience.
offensive, unpleasant, or deeply disliked
hateful towards
The online posts were hateful towards migrants.
showing hostility directed at someone
hateful of
That phrase is not standard English.
not an idiomatic adjective-preposition pattern
hostile towards
She sounded hostile towards the new manager.
a more common way to describe antagonistic behaviour

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using hateful of

Hateful of is not a standard combination.

✕ He was hateful of his neighbours. ✓ He was hateful towards his neighbours.

Confusing hateful with hated

Hateful describes something causing hate or offence; hated describes something people dislike.

✕ The actor is hateful by many fans. ✓ The actor is hated by many fans.

Overusing hateful towards

In some contexts, hostile towards or hateful comments about may sound more natural.

✕ She gave a hateful towards speech. ✓ She gave a hateful speech towards the group.

Using to for directed hostility

Hateful to often describes the listener's reaction rather than directed aggression.

✕ He was hateful to immigrants online. ✓ He posted hateful comments towards immigrants online.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The comments were hateful ___ many readers.
2. The posts were hateful ___ a religious group.
3. Which option is nonstandard?

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Frequently asked questions

Is hateful towards correct?

Yes. It can describe hostile attitudes or behaviour directed at someone.

Why is hateful of incorrect?

Modern English does not normally use of after hateful.

What is the difference between hateful and hated?

Hateful means causing hate or offence. Hated means disliked by others.

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