Definition

1. Noun:
   • Hostile or threatening letters: "Hate mail" refers to letters, emails, or other written communications that express strong dislike, prejudice, or hatred towards the recipient, typically using offensive, abusive, or threatening language. It is often motivated by the recipient's race, gender, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, or public stance on an issue.

Usage

• "Hate mail" is an uncountable noun. You receive, get, or be sent hate mail. You do not typically say "a hate mail" or "hate mails."
• It is commonly used in contexts involving public figures, activists, journalists, or anyone expressing a controversial opinion who becomes a target for such communications.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The journalist received a lot of hate mail after publishing the controversial article.
  • Celebrities often have to deal with hate mail from anonymous senders.
  • The activist's office was flooded with hate mail following her television appearance.

Advanced Usage

• "to be bombarded with hate mail": to receive a very large amount of hate mail in a short period.
  • After the interview went viral, she was bombarded with hate mail on social media.
• "a campaign of hate mail": a coordinated series of hateful messages.
  • The politician was subjected to a sustained campaign of hate mail.

Variants and Related Words

• Hate speech (n): public speech that expresses hate or encourages violence towards a person or group based on attributes such as race, religion, or sexual orientation.
  • The new law aims to curb online hate speech.
• Poison-pen letter (n): an anonymous letter that is malicious or abusive. This is a close synonym but often implies the letter is specifically designed to hurt the recipient's feelings or reputation, not necessarily motivated by group-based hatred.
  • She was devastated after receiving a poison-pen letter from a neighbor.

Synonyms

• Abusive mail: Mail containing insulting or offensive language.
• Threatening correspondence: Written communications that contain threats.
• Malicious communications: A formal term for messages intended to cause distress or anxiety.

Related Phrases

• To troll someone: (Internet slang) to post inflammatory or off-topic messages online with the primary intent of provoking an emotional response or disrupting discussion. This can be a method of sending hate mail.
  • He was just trying to troll her by sending hateful comments.
• Flame mail: (Internet slang) angry or insulting electronic messages, especially in online forums or email.
  • The moderator warned users against sending flame mail.

Related Idioms

• "Don't shoot the messenger": A plea for someone not to blame the person who delivers bad news. This idiom is sometimes referenced by individuals who receive hate mail for reporting on or representing an unpopular view.
  • I'm just reporting what the study found. Don't shoot the messenger.

Noun

1. mail that expresses the writer's dislike or hatred (usually in offensive language)