unfriendly
Americanadjective
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not amicable; not friendly or kindly in disposition; unsympathetic; aloof.
an unfriendly coldness of manner.
-
hostile; antagonistic.
an unfriendly act of aggression.
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unfavorable; inhospitable or inimical, as an environment.
an unfriendly climate for new ideas.
adverb
adjective
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not friendly; hostile
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unfavourable or disagreeable
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unfriendly
before 900; Middle English (adj.); Old English unfreondlīche (adv.). See un- 1, friendly
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.
Senators this week began to circulate a draft viewed as unfriendly to Coinbase and stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Group, helping to push shares of Coinbase down about 8% and Circle nearly 20% on Tuesday.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
Historically, there’s always been this friendly or maybe unfriendly competition between people.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025
Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes examine what happens to children left behind in an unfriendly and chaotic world.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025
Looking ahead: “The labor market is holding on, though it remains fairly unfriendly to job seekers,” said Elizabeth Renter, senior economist at NerdWallet.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 9, 2025
The Orgota seemed not an unfriendly people, but incurious; they were colorless, steady, subdued.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
