hostile
[ hos-tl or, esp. British, -tahyl ]
/ ˈhɒs tl or, esp. British, -taɪl /
adjective
of, relating to, or characteristic of an enemy: a hostile nation.
opposed in feeling, action, or character; antagonistic: hostile criticism.
characterized by antagonism.
not friendly, warm, or generous; not hospitable.
noun
a person or thing that is antagonistic or unfriendly.
Military. an enemy soldier, plane, ship, etc.
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What’s The Difference Between Adverse And Averse?What does adverse and averse mean? The adjectives adverse and averse are related. Both come from the Latin root vert- meaning “to turn.” In Latin the word adversus meant “turned toward” and “hostile” and is a direct root of adverse. Averse, on the other hand, emerges from the Latin word aversus, which meant “turned away.” Today, adverse is rarely used to describe people but rather to describe effects or …
RELATED WORDS
inimical, contentious, belligerent, unsympathetic, adverse, unfriendly, inhospitable, opposed, hateful, unfavorable, contrary, nasty, bitter, alien, opposite, catty, militant, sour, cold, chill
Nearby words
- hostelling,
- hostelry,
- hostess,
- hostess gown,
- hostie,
- hostile fire,
- hostile sexism,
- hostile takeover,
- hostile witness,
- hostilely
Origin of hostile
SYNONYMS FOR hostile
1. warlike, aggressive. 2. adverse, averse, contrary. 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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for hostile
hostile
/ (ˈhɒstaɪl) /
adjective
antagonistic; opposed
of or relating to an enemy
unfriendly
noun
a hostile person; enemy
Word Origin for hostile
C16: from Latin hostīlis, from hostis enemy
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
hostile
late 15c., from Middle French hostile "of or belonging to an enemy" or directly from Latin hostilis "of an enemy," from hostis "enemy" (see guest). The noun meaning "hostile person" is recorded from 1838, American English, a word from the Indian wars.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper