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
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
-
interhostileadjective
-
nonhostileadjective
-
overhostileadjective
-
prehostileadjective
-
semihostileadjective
-
unhostileadjective
-
hostilelyadverb
-
nonhostilelyadverb
-
overhostilelyadverb
-
semihostilelyadverb
-
unhostilelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Hostile policies hold the promise of a seller’s market.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025
Hostile takeovers tend to come and go in waves.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025
He also had a prominent role in 1960s courtroom film Hostile Witness and appeared in Burt Reynolds' crime movie Rough Cut and The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle with the Sex Pistols.
From BBC • Feb. 18, 2025
Hostile activity in cyberspace — from spying to the planting of malware to infect and disrupt a country’s infrastructure — has become a hallmark of modern geopolitical rivalry.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 21, 2024
“Social isolation? Hostile atmosphere? Are you saying that Julian was the only kid who wasn’t nice to this boy? Or are you suspending every kid who stuck his tongue out at this kid?”
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
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.
