inhospitable

American  

[in-hos-pi-tuh-buhl, in-ho-spit-uh-buhl] / ɪnˈhɒs pɪ tə bəl, ˌɪn hɒˈspɪt ə bəl /

adjective

1. not inclined to, or characterized by, hospitality, as persons or actions; unfriendly.

2. (of a region, climate, etc.) not offering shelter, favorable conditions, etc.; barren.

   an inhospitable rocky coast.

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inhospitable British  

/ ˌɪnhɒˈspɪt-, ɪnˈhɒspɪtəbəl /

adjective

1. not hospitable; unfriendly

2. (of a region, an environment, etc) lacking a favourable climate, terrain, etc

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Other Word Forms

• inhospitableness
  noun
• inhospitably
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of inhospitable

1560–70; < Middle French < Medieval Latin inhospitābilis. See in- ³, hospitable

Explanation

Inhospitable places aren't easy or comfortable to live in, and inhospitable people can be downright unfriendly — even hostile. A hotel is particularly inhospitable if it's got uncomfortable beds and grouchy desk clerks. Northern Minnesota is inhospitable in January, and many parts of India are inhospitable in the summertime — they are harsh, difficult places for most people. You're inhospitable to a visitor in your home if you don't offer a drink or ask if they want to sit, or in other ways try to make them comfortable. To be hospitable is to be friendly or pleasant, and when you add the "not" prefix in-, you get inhospitable.

Example Sentences

But human development and the wildfires we create have destroyed swaths of their habitat, and climate change is threatening to make much of what remains inhospitable.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

With her inquisitive eyes and lush, white tail, which she wraps around herself like a scarf, Rana is a friendly guide to an inhospitable world.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

Appreciate the variety of ways a planet might be, and how many of them are, cold, dry, sterile, baked, toxic, inhospitable, and, as far as we can tell, completely devoid of life.

From Slate • Dec. 9, 2025

Building on their findings, Kumawat and his colleagues now plan to cultivate these microorganisms in controlled incubators to learn more about how they obtain nutrients and persist in such inhospitable environments.

From Science Daily • Nov. 9, 2025

Once the colonists had reached the shores of Greater Australia, they spread quickly over the whole continent to occupy even its farthest reaches and most inhospitable habitats.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• hostile
• unfavorable