You have no argument. If "hate" doesn't mean hate, then Jesus is misrepresenting the teachings of the OT (where it was a virtue to hate your enemies, even with the utmost hate!). If "hate" means to love someone, just less than we love God, then you're claiming Jesus is telling us to love our enemies more than God! And, if "hate" doesn't really mean "hate", how do you figure that "love" means love? That's three strikes for you from the single verse you quote in your defense.
The word Jesus used for hate is used about 42 times in the NT. So, we do have a very good understanding of what the word means, and does not mean what you say it means. Your only position is that you don't like what Jesus said so you're making up an excuse to dismiss it.
NO! You don't get to make up the definitions of the words other people use!