Zodiac rankings · The sign everyone loves to blame
The most hated zodiac sign: Gemini on paper, Scorpio in the group chat
There is exactly one real poll, a pile of listicles that disagree with each other, and a sky that, in 2026, really does give one sign a harder time. Here are the receipts.
Johann Bayer, Uranometria, 1603
At a glance
Gemini, if you go by the one published poll. Scorpio, if you go by reputation. And in 2026 the sky itself leans hardest on Scorpio.
- Poll pick
- Gemini"Undateable" pick in a 2021 OnePoll survey of 2,000 US adults
- Also named in the poll
- Cancer, Taurus, Aries, LeoNot ranked against each other
- Reputation pick
- ScorpioMars-ruled fixed water: intense, private, slow to forgive
- 2026's toughest sky
- Scorpio42.5 days of Mercury or Venus retrograde in the sign
- Signs built to clash
- 12 square pairsSame mode, different element, 90° apart
See your whole chart, not just the Sun signFree birth chart. Nobody is only their Sun sign.
The short answer
So who is the most hated zodiac sign? It depends who you ask
Try this today
- Next time someone blames your sign, ask for their Moon and rising. Watch the conversation get a lot more interesting.
- Use the rap-sheet tool below to see the gossip, the receipts and the chart reason for any sign.
- Check whether the person you clash with is a square to your sign. Squares are the 12 pairings astrologers expect to rub.
Somebody in the group chat just said "ugh, typical Gemini" and three people reacted with the skull emoji. You want to know if the internet agrees. Fair.
Here is the honest version. There is no big, careful study of which sign people hate. What exists is one consumer poll and a lot of opinion pieces. The poll was run by OnePoll for the jeweller Diamondère and reported by StudyFinds on February 11, 2021. It asked 2,000 Americans about their relationships, and about a third said there was a sign they would refuse to date again. StudyFinds puts Gemini at the top of the "undateable" list, then names Cancer, Taurus, Aries, Leo as next in line, without ranking those four against each other.
So if you want a number-backed answer, it is Gemini. Two caveats. The question was about dating, not hate. And it was a marketing poll, not a scientific survey, so treat it as a vibe check with a sample size.
The listicles are less useful still. YourTango alone has published pieces on why 8 different signs are hated: Aries, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn. A Yahoo Lifestyle piece names Gemini, Scorpio and Capricorn. When everyone is "the most hated", nobody is. What you can see is a pattern of reputations, and the chart has plenty to say about where each one comes from.
The sky behind it
Poll: OnePoll survey for jeweller Diamondère, 2,000 US adults, reported StudyFinds, February 11, 2021. StudyFinds ranks only the top sign and gives no per-sign percentages, so we do not quote any. YourTango articles checked October 2026: one each for Aries, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn.
The reputation pick
Why Scorpio gets the worst reputation
Try this today
- Say the quiet part kindly. Most of your bad press comes from silence that people fill in themselves.
- Let one grudge go this month. Just one. See how it feels.
- Your squares are Scorpio and Leo and Scorpio and Aquarius: fixed signs who also refuse to blink.
Ask ten people to name the scariest sign and most will say Scorpio before you finish the sentence. The jealousy, the grudges, the stare across the room that makes you check your teeth for spinach.
The chart reasons are real, if not the ones the memes think. Scorpio is a fixed water sign. Water is the element of feeling; fixed signs hold on. Put them together and you get emotions that run deep and do not move on quickly. In the tradition, Scorpio is ruled by Mars, the planet of conflict and cutting. Modern astrologers added Pluto after it was discovered in 1930, and with it a whole vocabulary of power, secrets and transformation. Scorpio is also linked with the eighth house: shared money, sex, death, the things polite dinners avoid.
So Scorpio is the sign that holds the topics people find uncomfortable. That is a reputation problem, not a character flaw. The same traits read as loyalty, privacy and the nerve to stay in a hard conversation. Our journal piece on why the most feared sign is the most misunderstood goes deeper, and the Scorpio sign page has the full profile.
Fun twist: Scorpio is not among the five signs named in the write-up of the one poll we have. People talk about fearing Scorpios. They do not, apparently, refuse to date them.
The sky behind it
Scorpio: tropical longitude 210° to 240°. Fixed, water, feminine (yin). Traditional ruler Mars (Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos I.17); modern co-ruler Pluto, discovered by Clyde Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in 1930.
The poll pick
Why Gemini tops the "undateable" list
Try this today
- Ask a better question. Bored Geminis drift; curious ones stay.
- Do not read a slow reply as a verdict. Mercury people are often replying to six things at once.
- Their squares are Gemini and Virgo and Gemini and Pisces, the other mutable signs, so expect the most friction there.
Gemini is the sign people say they would not date again, and the complaints are always the same: two-faced, flaky, gossipy, here for the chat and gone before the bill.
Look at the chart and the stereotype makes sense, even if it is unfair. Gemini is mutable air, ruled by Mercury. Air is the element of ideas and talk; mutable signs adapt and change. Mercury is the messenger, quick and curious and never in one place for long. The constellation is the twins, Castor and Pollux, which is where "two-faced" comes from. In the Greek myth, though, the twins are the opposite of disloyal: when mortal Castor died, Pollux asked to share his immortality with him.
So the trait people hate is often just speed. Gemini thinks out loud, tries on opinions, and moves on when the conversation stops being interesting. In a first date that can feel like being dropped. In a friendship it is the person who always has something new to tell you. Our journal piece, the sign everyone gets wrong, makes the full case.
The sky behind it
Gemini: tropical longitude 60° to 90°. Mutable, air, masculine (yang). Ruler Mercury. The Castor and Pollux story is told by Hyginus (De Astronomia II.22) and Ovid (Fasti V).
Zodiac signs that hate each other
The pairs that clash, by geometry rather than gossip
Try this today
- Find your two squares in the table below, then think about who in your life has those signs. Any patterns?
- Use the 'Do these two signs hate each other?' checker below for any pairing.
- Compare Moons, not just Suns. A square between Suns can be softened by a trine between Moons.
If you want to know which zodiac signs "hate each other", astrology has an actual answer, and it is maths.
The wheel has twelve signs, each 30° wide. Every sign has an element (fire, earth, air, water, repeating every four signs) and a mode (cardinal, fixed, mutable, repeating every three). Signs three apart are 90° away, a square: same mode, different element. They want the same kind of thing (to start, to keep, or to change) in incompatible ways. That gives exactly 12 square pairs, and they are the classic clashes.
Signs five apart are 150° away, a quincunx: no shared element, mode or polarity at all. That is another 12 pairs. They do not fight so much as misread each other. And the 6 oppositions, six apart, are the love-hate pairs: same mode, facing each other across the wheel.
The big rival pairings people argue about online are mostly squares: Aries and Cancer, Leo and Scorpio, Gemini and Virgo, Taurus and Aquarius. That does not doom anyone. Squares are also where people push each other to grow, and real compatibility sits in whole charts, not two Sun signs.
The sky behind it
A square is 90° (three signs apart), a quincunx 150° (five apart), an opposition 180° (six apart). Elements cycle every four signs and modes every three, so a three-sign step always keeps the mode and always changes the element. Quincunx pairs: Aries-Virgo, Taurus-Libra, Gemini-Scorpio, Cancer-Sagittarius, Leo-Capricorn, Virgo-Aquarius, Libra-Pisces, Scorpio-Aries, Sagittarius-Taurus, Capricorn-Gemini, Aquarius-Cancer, Pisces-Leo.
| Pair | Shared mode | Elements |
|---|---|---|
| Aries and Cancer | Cardinal | Fire and Water |
| Taurus and Leo | Fixed | Earth and Fire |
| Gemini and Virgo | Mutable | Air and Earth |
| Cancer and Libra | Cardinal | Water and Air |
| Leo and Scorpio | Fixed | Fire and Water |
| Virgo and Sagittarius | Mutable | Earth and Fire |
| Libra and Capricorn | Cardinal | Air and Earth |
| Scorpio and Aquarius | Fixed | Water and Air |
| Sagittarius and Pisces | Mutable | Fire and Water |
| Capricorn and Aries | Cardinal | Earth and Fire |
| Aquarius and Taurus | Fixed | Air and Earth |
| Pisces and Gemini | Mutable | Water and Air |
2026, computed
Why 2026 feels like it is out to get Scorpio
Try this today
- If you are a Scorpio, give yourself some grace between Oct 3, 2026 and Nov 14, 2026. Re-reading old texts is allowed. Sending new ones at 2 a.m. is optional.
- If you know a Scorpio, maybe do not pick this autumn to tell them they are 'a lot'.
- Planning ahead? In 2027 the pressure moves to Virgo and Leo, thanks to Mars retrograde.
Venus retrograde 2026Mercury retrograde dos and don'tsRetrogrades 2027
Here is the part nobody's listicle checks. If any sign gets a rough edit from the sky in 2026, it is Scorpio, and we can count it.
We worked out, hour by hour from NASA JPL's DE442 ephemeris, where Mercury, Venus and Mars are whenever they are retrograde. Mars never goes retrograde in 2026. Venus turns retrograde at 8°29′ Scorpio on Oct 3, 2026 and backs into Libra before turning direct on Nov 14, 2026. Then Mercury turns retrograde at 20°59′ Scorpio on Oct 24, 2026 and stays in Scorpio until it turns direct on Nov 13, 2026.
Add it up and Scorpio hosts 22.1 days of Venus retrograde and 20.4 days of Mercury retrograde, 42.5 in all, the most of any sign. Cancer is next with 24.2. Eight signs get none. Venus slips back into Libra on Oct 25, 2026, about 26 hours after Mercury turns around, so for roughly a day both planets are retrograde in Scorpio together. After that they stay retrograde side by side, Venus in late Libra and Mercury in Scorpio, until Nov 13, 2026.
Astrologers read Venus retrograde as a time to revisit love and values, and Mercury retrograde as a time for crossed wires and second drafts. Put both in Scorpio and you get the season where old feelings and old messages come back for a rematch. If Scorpios seem extra intense this autumn, the sky gave them material. Full details on the Venus retrograde 2026 and Mercury retrograde pages.
The sky behind it
Method: hourly samples through 2026 and 2027; a planet counts as retrograde in an hour when its geocentric apparent ecliptic longitude (true ecliptic and equinox of date) decreases, and the hour is credited to the sign at its midpoint. Stations: Venus Oct 3, 2026 · 07:15 UTC at 8°29′ Scorpio, direct Nov 14, 2026 · 00:27 UTC at 22°52′ Libra. Mercury Oct 24, 2026 · 07:12 UTC at 20°59′ Scorpio, direct Nov 13, 2026 · 15:53 UTC at 5°02′ Scorpio. The 2026 eclipses fall in Aquarius, Virgo, Leo, Pisces, none in Scorpio, so the eclipses at least leave it alone.
Play
Pull your sign's rap sheet, then test any rivalry
Pick a sign for its gossip, its receipts (the poll, the listicles and its computed 2026 retrograde days) and the signs its chart says it will clash with. Then pick any two signs and see whether the geometry backs up the drama.
Your sign’s rap sheet
Tap your Sun sign. You get the gossip, the receipts and the signs your chart says you are built to clash with.
Scorpio: holds grudges forever, allegedly.
The gossip
- Holds grudges forever
- Jealous and secretive
- Reads your texts like a detective
The receipts
Not among the five signs named in the 2021 OnePoll "undateable" survey.
YourTango has run a why Scorpio is hated piece. So have 7 other signs.
42.5 days of Mercury or Venus retrograde in Scorpio in 2026. 8.7 in 2027.
The chart says
Water sign, fixed mode, ruled by Mars (Pluto, for modern astrologers).
Loyal to the bone and allergic to small talk. Scorpio intensity is the same quality that makes it the friend who will sit with you at 3 a.m. and not flinch.
Glow-up line: Keeps every secret you have ever told it.
Built to clash with (squares): Leo and Aquarius. Same fixed mode, different element.
Slightly misread by (quincunx): Aries and Gemini. Your opposite: Taurus.
Do these two signs hate each other?
Pick any two signs. We measure the angle between them on the zodiac wheel and tell you what astrologers make of it.
Scorpio and Leo: this is the classic clash.
90° apart, a square. water and fire, both fixed, opposite polarity.
Same mode, different element. Both of you want to lead (cardinal), hold the line (fixed) or change the plan (mutable), just in opposite styles. Most 'these signs hate each other' lists are, knowingly or not, lists of squares.
More to read
Shorter reads. Each opens in place.
A reality check
Nobody is only their Sun sign
Your Sun sign is one placement out of a dozen or so.
"Most hated sign" lists all judge people by one thing: where the Sun was on their birthday. A full chart also has a Moon, a rising sign, Mercury, Venus, Mars and more, each in its own sign and house.
Continue readingShow less
So the Gemini you are mad at might have a Taurus Moon and a Capricorn rising, and be the most reliable person you know. Check your own big three and you will see why the stereotypes fit some people and miss others completely.
Before you write a sign off
Hate the behaviour, not the birthday
A sign stereotype is a shortcut, and shortcuts are how we end up blaming a whole twelfth of humanity for one ex. Astrology works best as a mirror: a way to ask why a trait bugs you, and what it shows you about what you value.
Continue readingShow less
If someone keeps hurting you, that is about them, not their Sun sign. Our red flag zodiac signs page is about patterns worth noticing, and a free birth chart is the place to start if you want the real picture.
The receipts: what the sky does to each sign in 2026 and 2027
Days each personal planet spends retrograde in each sign, computed hour by hour from JPL DE442, then every eclipse and every retrograde station of the two years.
| Sign | 2026 Mercury | 2026 Venus | 2026 Mars | 2026 total | 2027 total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taurus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gemini | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.5 |
| Cancer | 24.2 | 0 | 0 | 24.2 | 15.5 |
| Leo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 |
| Virgo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 |
| Libra | 0 | 19.6 | 0 | 19.6 | 12.2 |
| Scorpio | 20.4 | 22.1 | 0 | 42.5 | 8.7 |
| Sagittarius | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Capricorn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aquarius | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Pisces | 22.5 | 0 | 0 | 22.5 | 8.8 |
| Planet | Turns retrograde (UTC) | At | Turns direct (UTC) | At |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Feb 26, 2026 · 06:48 UTC | 22°34′ Pisces | Mar 20, 2026 · 19:32 UTC | 8°29′ Pisces |
| Mercury | Jun 29, 2026 · 17:35 UTC | 26°15′ Cancer | Jul 23, 2026 · 22:57 UTC | 16°19′ Cancer |
| Venus | Oct 3, 2026 · 07:15 UTC | 8°29′ Scorpio | Nov 14, 2026 · 00:27 UTC | 22°52′ Libra |
| Mercury | Oct 24, 2026 · 07:12 UTC | 20°59′ Scorpio | Nov 13, 2026 · 15:53 UTC | 5°02′ Scorpio |
| Mars | Jan 10, 2027 · 12:59 UTC | 10°26′ Virgo | Apr 1, 2027 · 14:08 UTC | 20°56′ Leo |
| Mercury | Feb 9, 2027 · 17:36 UTC | 5°59′ Pisces | Mar 3, 2027 · 12:32 UTC | 20°55′ Aquarius |
| Mercury | Jun 10, 2027 · 18:15 UTC | 6°22′ Cancer | Jul 4, 2027 · 19:39 UTC | 27°28′ Gemini |
| Mercury | Oct 7, 2027 · 14:37 UTC | 4°56′ Scorpio | Oct 28, 2027 · 14:10 UTC | 19°19′ Libra |
| Greatest eclipse (UTC) | Eclipse | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 17, 2026 · 12:11 UTC | Annular solar | 28°50′ Aquarius |
| Mar 3, 2026 · 11:33 UTC | Total lunar | 12°52′ Virgo |
| Aug 12, 2026 · 17:45 UTC | Total solar | 20°02′ Leo |
| Aug 28, 2026 · 04:12 UTC | Partial lunar | 4°51′ Pisces |
| Feb 6, 2027 · 15:59 UTC | Annular solar | 17°38′ Aquarius |
| Feb 20, 2027 · 23:12 UTC | Penumbral lunar | 1°59′ Virgo |
| Jul 18, 2027 · 16:03 UTC | Penumbral lunar | 25°58′ Capricorn |
| Aug 2, 2027 · 10:06 UTC | Total solar | 9°55′ Leo |
| Aug 17, 2027 · 07:13 UTC | Penumbral lunar | 24°04′ Aquarius |
All times are UTC. In the Americas the local date can be a day earlier; in Asia and Australia a day later.
Quick answers
what is the most hated zodiac sign
Gemini, going by the only published poll: a 2021 OnePoll survey of 2,000 Americans for Diamondère put Gemini first among "undateable" signs and also named Cancer, Taurus, Aries, Leo. By reputation, Scorpio gets the most fear. No scientific study has measured which sign people hate.
most hated zodiac sign 2026
There is no 2026 poll. What we can compute is the sky: in 2026 Scorpio hosts 42.5 days of Mercury or Venus retrograde (Venus from Oct 3, 2026, Mercury from Oct 24, 2026), the most of any sign. Astrologers would expect Scorpios to have the bumpiest autumn, not to be the most hated.
what is the most hated zodiac sign and why
Gemini tops the dating poll because mutable air signs ruled by Mercury read as changeable and chatty, which feels flaky on a date. Scorpio tops the gossip because it is fixed water ruled by Mars (Pluto for modern astrologers): deep feelings that do not let go. Both reputations are stereotypes about one placement in a whole chart.
which zodiac signs hate each other
In astrology the built-in clashes are squares, signs three apart that share a mode but not an element. There are 12 pairs: Aries-Cancer, Taurus-Leo, Gemini-Virgo, Cancer-Libra, Leo-Scorpio, Virgo-Sagittarius, Libra-Capricorn, Scorpio-Aquarius, Sagittarius-Pisces, Capricorn-Aries, Aquarius-Taurus, Pisces-Gemini. Quincunx pairs (five signs apart) share nothing and tend to misread each other.
why is scorpio the most hated zodiac sign
By the numbers it is not: Scorpio is not among the five signs named in the write-up of the 2021 dating poll. Its reputation comes from its symbolism: fixed water, ruled by Mars and, for modern astrologers, Pluto, and tied to the eighth house of secrets, sex and death. People fear what the sign stands for more than actual Scorpios.
why do people hate geminis
The usual complaints are two-faced, flaky and gossipy. The chart reason is that Gemini is mutable air ruled by Mercury, the messenger: fast, curious and changeable. The twins symbol adds the 'two-faced' joke, even though in the Greek myth Castor and Pollux were famously loyal to each other.
most hated zodiac sign 2027
Again, no poll. In the sky, Mars turns retrograde at 10°26′ Virgo on Jan 10, 2027 and direct at 20°56′ Leo on Apr 1, 2027, so Virgo (42 retrograde days) and Leo (39) get the most retrograde time in 2027.
what is the most misunderstood zodiac sign
Scorpio and Gemini are the two most often called misunderstood, for the reasons above: Scorpio's intensity reads as menace and Gemini's curiosity reads as flakiness. Our journal has a full piece on each, linked from this page.
