घृणा (ghrinaa)

noun A somewhat formal, literary-leaning noun meaning hatred or disgust; in everyday speech learners more often hear it in the verb phrase घृणा करना (ghrinaa karnaa, 'to hate/despise') or घृणा होना (ghrinaa honaa, 'to feel disgust/hatred').
Sense 1 : hatred, loathing, disgust
noun, feminine Most commonly used with करना (karnaa) as the object of feeling ('X से घृणा करना' -- 'to hate X') or with होना (honaa) in a dative-subject construction ('X को Y से घृणा होती है' -- 'X feels disgust toward Y').
Synonyms: नफ़रत (nafrat), द्वेष (dvesh, more formal, connotes malice/spite), तिरस्कार (tiraskaar, literary, contempt)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: घृणा (ghrinaa) carries a slightly moral or visceral weight, often used when condemning an act (corruption, cruelty, injustice) rather than casual annoyance -- you would not say it about disliking a food. Gandhian and civics-textbook Hindi frequently pairs it with words like हिंसा (hinsaa, 'violence') and भेदभाव (bhedbhaav, 'discrimination') in phrases urging people to reject hatred.
Common Mistakes: 1) The person or thing hated is marked with से (se), not को (ko) or पर (par) -- e.g. मुझे झूठ से घृणा है (mujhe jhooth se ghrinaa hai, 'I hate lies'), not झूठ पर. 2) Learners often reach for घृणा (ghrinaa) as a direct translation of 'hate' in casual speech, but नफ़रत (nafrat) is far more common in everyday conversation; घृणा (ghrinaa) sounds more literary or moralistic, closer to 'loathing' or 'revulsion.'
Sample Sentences:
मुझे भ्रष्टाचार से घृणा है। I hate corruption.
(mujhe bhrashtaachaar se ghrinaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
गांधीजी हमेशा हिंसा और घृणा के खिलाफ बोलते थे। Gandhiji always spoke against violence and hatred.
(gaandhiijii hameshaa hinsaa aur ghrinaa ke khilaaph bolte the।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
समाज से जातिगत भेदभाव और घृणा को मिटाना चाहिए। Caste-based discrimination and hatred should be erased from society.
(samaaj se jaatigat bhedbhaav aur ghrinaa ko mitaanaa chaahie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
उसके मन में अपराधियों के लिए गहरी घृणा भर गई। A deep hatred for the criminals filled his heart.
(uske man men apraadhiyon ke lie gahrii ghrinaa bhar gaii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर वह सच जान लेता तो उसे उससे घृणा हो जाती। If he had known the truth, he would have come to hate him.
(agar vah sach jaan letaa to use usse ghrinaa ho jaatii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
घृणा से घृणा नहीं मिटती, केवल प्रेम से मिटती है। Hatred is not erased by hatred; it is erased only by love.
(ghrinaa se ghrinaa nahiin mittii, keval prem se mittii hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
क्या तुम्हें उससे इतनी घृणा क्यों है? Why do you hate him so much?
(kyaa tumhen usse itnii ghrinaa kyon hai?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
हमें घृणा को अपने दिल में जगह नहीं देनी चाहिए। We should not give hatred a place in our hearts.
(hamen ghrinaa ko apne dil men jagah nahiin denii chaahie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
इस अन्याय को देखकर लोगों के मन में घृणा भड़क उठी। Seeing this injustice, hatred flared up in people's hearts.
(is anyaay ko dekhkar logon ke man men ghrinaa bhadak uthii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उस अत्याचारी शासक से पूरे राज्य को घृणा हो गई थी। The entire kingdom had come to loathe that tyrannical ruler.
(us atyaachaarii shaasak se poore raajy ko ghrinaa ho gaii thii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): घृणा (ghrinaa)
(sg.f.oblique): घृणा (ghrinaa)
(pl.f.direct): घृणाएँ (ghrinaaen)
(pl.f.oblique): घृणाओं (ghrinaaon)