animosity
Americannoun
-
animosities
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of animosity
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English animosite, from Middle French, from Late Latin animōsitāt-, stem of animōsitās “ardor, boldness, wrath,” from Latin animōs(us) “spirited” (from anim(us) animus + -ōsus -ose 1 ) + -itās -ity
Explanation
Animosity is a strong feeling similar to hatred. If your (supposed) best buddy embarrasses you in front of a big crowd, your friendship could turn into animosity. Animosity comes from the Latin word animus, meaning "spirit" or "mind." That's also the root of the word animated — literally, "full of spirit." So how did animosity get so negative? Over the centuries, the original meaning of "high spirits" soured into "hatred." Today we most often speak of animosity toward, between, among, or against people. Keeping your animosity in check might make steam come out your ears.
Vocabulary lists containing animosity
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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Speak Your Mind: Anim
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Born a Crime
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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.
See Examples For:
The animosity dates back to the board’s decision last year to purchase 20 acres where they hope to eventually build a new fire station and civic hub.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
We may have some animosity, we may have some mistrust, but we recognize the way we’ve done business with the United States for the last 47 years is a mistake.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Ferguson recalled that the pair bumped into each other at Wentworth Golf Club a few weeks after the end of the season and there was no animosity as they spent time together.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Rather than fuel the animosity, the Friends made Saturday more of an awakening than a protest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
He had experienced the beginning of contempt, but now the childhood fear and respect and animosity came back to him, so that he seemed a little boy testing his father’s immediate mood to escape trouble.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
The poise of the prose somehow heightens the tension of this superbly crafted story, a thriller that shows how the animosities of war live on beyond the fighting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026
In recent months, North Korea has inflamed animosities on the Korean Peninsula with fiery rhetoric and continued missile tests.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 27, 2024
Indonesia said the forum should be a place for cooperation and not for the sharpening of animosities.
From Reuters ● Sep. 7, 2023
The talks saw Japan and South Korea put aside their historical animosities to forge a defense pact with the United States aimed at deterring Chinese and North Korean aggression.
From New York Times ● Aug. 19, 2023
These two groups were obliged to work side by side in the war plants, and their animosities festered and opened like boils on the face of the city.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
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.
