What it means
To hate-follow is to keep following someone online you can't actually stand, purely so you can keep tabs on them and roll your eyes at everything they post. You're not a fan, you're an audience for your own annoyance, screenshotting the worst bits to send to friends. The more they wind you up, the more loyally you keep watching.
Usage examples
"I hate-follow that influencer just to see what ridiculous thing she'll claim next."
"Half my feed is people I hate-follow, I don't know why I do it to myself."
"I had to unfollow him because I wasn't even enjoying it anymore, I was just hate-following for the weekly cringe."
"Be honest, you don't like her content, you just hate-follow so you've got something to moan about in the group chat."
Where it comes from
A straight blend of hate and follow that grew out of online culture in the 2010s, built on the same pattern as hate-watch. It caught on because it nails that cursed little habit of staying subscribed to someone you can't stand just to keep up with the chaos.
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