antisocial

American  

[an-tee-soh-shuhl, an-tahy-] / ˌæn tiˈsoʊ ʃəl, ˌæn taɪ- /

adjective

1. unwilling or unable to associate in a normal or friendly way with other people.

   He's not antisocial, just shy.

   Synonyms:

   misanthropic, retiring, unsociable

   Antonyms:

   affable, genial, gregarious

2. antagonistic, hostile, or unfriendly toward others; menacing; threatening.

   an antisocial act.

   Synonyms:

   intimidating, disruptive

3. opposed or detrimental to social order or the principles on which society is constituted.

   antisocial behavior.

4. Psychiatry. of or relating to a pattern of behavior in which social norms and the rights of others are persistently violated.

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noun

1. a person exhibiting antisocial traits.

antisocial British  

/ ˌæntɪˈsəʊʃəl /

adjective

1. avoiding the company of other people; unsociable

2. contrary or injurious to the interests of society in general

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Other Word Forms

• antisociality noun
• antisocially adverb

Etymology

Origin of antisocial

First recorded in 1790–1800; anti- + social

Example Sentences

The bill, which is currently progressing through the House of Lords and is not yet law, is intended to introduce measures to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour and will apply to England and Wales.

From BBC

The most important “and, I think, malign, change” has been the arrival of social media—or “antisocial media,” as he calls them.

From The Wall Street Journal

The writer Damon Beres warned in the Atlantic that generative AI will usher in an “age of antisocial media,” in which technology takes both our jobs and our relationships.

From The Wall Street Journal

Bus drivers and bus station staff will also be given mandatory training on identifying and intervening where vulnerable passengers are at risk from antisocial behaviour or violence.

From BBC

The Department for Transport told the BBC that abuse of passengers and staff is "unacceptable" and pointed to the new powers the Bus Services Act will give to help tackle antisocial behaviour.

From BBC

Related Words

• alienated
• introverted
• standoffish