A person who deliberately stirs up hatred, unrest, or hostility against certain people or groups. The term has a strongly negative connotation.
example
Politische Hetzer versuchen, die Gesellschaft zu spalten.
Political agitators try to divide society.
Usage tips
Word family
'Der Hetzer' (agitator) is derived from the verb 'hetzen' (to agitate/incite). 'Hetzen gegen jemanden' means to spread hatred and hostility against that person or group. So 'der Hetzer' is the person who carries out this action.
EXAMPLE
Er ist bekannt dafür, in seinen Reden gegen politische Gegner zu hetzen.
He is known for agitating against political opponents in his speeches.
Register and style
This word is extremely negative and is used as sharp criticism or an accusation. It is not a neutral description, but a strongly judgmental term, and is used especially in political journalism.
EXAMPLE
Die Zeitung bezeichnete den Redner als gefährlichen Hetzer.
The newspaper described the speaker as a dangerous agitator.
Typical collocations
The word is often combined with adjectives that describe the political direction or type of incitement, for example 'politischer Hetzer' (political agitator), 'rechter Hetzer' (right-wing agitator), or 'rassistischer Hetzer' (racist agitator).
EXAMPLE
Die Demonstration richtete sich gegen die Parolen der rechten Hetzer.
The demonstration was directed against the slogans of the right-wing agitators.
Compare with
near_synonym · confusable
Hetzer vs Hater
hater
'der Hater' and 'der Hetzer' both refer to people who behave negatively or hostilely. 'Hater' is used mainly online for someone who writes insulting or hateful comments. 'Hetzer' is stronger and more serious: a 'Hetzer' deliberately tries to spread hatred or hostility toward people or groups. The words can be confused because both have to do with hatred and aggressive language. 'Hater' fits better with social media and personal attacks, while 'Hetzer' fits better with deliberate incitement against others.
Hetzer
Die Gruppe meldet den Hetzer, weil er im Netz Hass gegen Minderheiten verbreitet.
The group reports the agitator because he is spreading hatred against minorities online.
Hater
Nach dem Video schreiben einige Hater gemeine Kommentare unter den Beitrag.
After the video, some haters write mean comments under the post.