inhospitable

adjective

in·​hos·​pi·​ta·​ble ˌin-(ˌ)hä-ˈspi-tə-bəl How to pronounce inhospitable (audio) (ˌ)in-ˈhä-(ˌ)spi- How to pronounce inhospitable (audio)
1
: not showing hospitality : not friendly or receptive
2
: providing no shelter or sustenance
an inhospitable environment
inhospitableness noun
inhospitably
ˌin-(ˌ)hä-ˈspi-tə-blē How to pronounce inhospitable (audio)
(ˌ)in-ˈhä-(ˌ)spi-
adverb

Examples of inhospitable in a Sentence

It's very inhospitable of him to be so rude to strangers. the proposal received an unexpectedly inhospitable response from the city council
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Globally, the melting of glaciers continues to cause unprecedented sea level rise and record surface temperatures are leaving more and more parts of Earth inhospitable. Ainsley Bock, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025 These are dusty, arid lands, more craggy than lush, and in some ways inhospitable. Ray Mark Rinaldi, The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025 On that inhospitable day, give or take a few million years, the sun will become so hot that the oceans will boil, Earth’s oxygen will disappear, and photosynthesis will cease, as will all living things. Arthur Krystal, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025 Again Victory Rally on Sunday afternoon at the Capital One Arena — seemingly a place inhospitable to these narratives of collaborative difference — these tugs of war persisted. Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for inhospitable 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of inhospitable was circa 1570

Dictionary Entries Near inhospitable

Cite this Entry

“Inhospitable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inhospitable. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

inhospitable

adjective
in·​hos·​pi·​ta·​ble ˌin-(ˌ)häs-ˈpit-ə-bəl How to pronounce inhospitable (audio) (ˈ)in-ˈhäs-(ˌ)pit- How to pronounce inhospitable (audio)
1
: not friendly or generous : not showing hospitality
2
: providing no shelter or food : barren
an inhospitable desert
inhospitably adverb
inhospitality
(ˌ)in-ˌhäs-pə-ˈtal-ət-ē
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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