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.
The ruling also suspends a Pentagon designation of Anthropic, creator of the Claude AI model, as a national security supply chain risk -- a label typically reserved for organizations from unfriendly foreign countries.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
The exchange went down after the unfriendly parties apparently spotted one another on a Delta flight from San Francisco to New York’s JFK airport.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026
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
Mexico says it has offered Chávez asylum in accordance with international law, and rejected Peru's accusation that it was an "unfriendly act".
From BBC • Nov. 6, 2025
The hobbits were glad to leave the cheerless lands and the perilous Road behind them; but this new country seemed threatening and unfriendly.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
