hostile
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of an enemy.
a hostile nation.
- Synonyms:
- aggressive, warlike
- Antonyms:
- friendly
-
opposed in feeling, action, or character; antagonistic.
hostile criticism.
- Antonyms:
- friendly
-
characterized by antagonism.
- Antonyms:
- sympathetic
-
not friendly, warm, or generous; not hospitable.
noun
-
a person or thing that is antagonistic or unfriendly.
-
Military. an enemy soldier, plane, ship, etc.
adjective
-
antagonistic; opposed
-
of or relating to an enemy
-
unfriendly
noun
Related Words
Hostile, inimical indicate that which characterizes an enemy or something injurious to one's interests. Hostile applies to the spirit, attitude, or action of an enemy: They showed a hostile and menacing attitude. Inimical applies to an antagonistic or injurious tendency or influence: Their remarks were inimical to his reputation.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hostile
First recorded in 1585–95; from Latin hostīlis, equivalent to hostis “enemy” ( see host 2) + -īlis -ile
Explanation
If something is hostile, it's unfriendly. If you are zealous about the political causes you believe in, you will be hostile to any suggestion that the other side of the argument is reasonable. Hostile comes from the Latin word hostis, for enemy, and you can hear its relation to the word hostage. But you don't have to be from a warring nation to be hostile. You can talk about a hostile nation, a hostile takeover, a hostile remark, or a hostile attitude. Some synonyms are inimical, antagonistic, unfavorable, unfriendly.
Vocabulary lists containing hostile
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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Some Tricky Homonyms
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The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Afghan officials deny the charge and counter that Pakistan harbours hostile groups and does not respect its sovereignty.
From Barron's • May 12, 2026
“It feels a little like an example of hostile architecture in the name of ‘public safety’ that seems to be happening everywhere,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
Relatively high valuations also limit the margin for error if macroeconomic conditions become more hostile.
From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026
Analyst Anthony Moulder says it’s an approach made only by those that are hostile from the outset.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026
Race plays a major role—indeed, a defining role—in the current system, but not because of what is commonly understood as old-fashioned, hostile bigotry.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
