unfriendly
Americanadjective
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not amicable; not friendly or kindly in disposition; unsympathetic; aloof.
an unfriendly coldness of manner.
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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
- unfriendliness noun
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
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
According to him, in August 2023, his aide returned to Japan to visit his family, and returned to Budapest three weeks later "a changed man", tense, and unfriendly.
From BBC • Nov. 9, 2025
Roz wandered the island, covered in dirt and green growing things, and everywhere she went, she heard unfriendly words.
From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown
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.
