Hate mail(仇恨邮件)首次出现于1951年。Hate crime(仇恨犯罪)则在1988年被记录。现代意义上的 Hate speech(仇恨言论)则出现在1990年。值得一提的是,这个词在1898年出版的一本书中就有出现,书中翻译了《天使的堕落》这首盎格鲁-撒克逊诗,讲述了撒旦的反叛,其中将盎格鲁-撒克逊语的 hetespraece 翻译为:
Dear was he to our Lord; but it could not be hidden
That his angel began to be proud,
Lifted himself against his Leader, sought hate-speech,
Words of boasting against him, and would not serve God.