hostile 1 of 2

adjective

ˈhä-stᵊl How to pronounce hostile (audio)
Definition of hostilenext
1
as in negative
marked by opposition or ill will the suggestions for change were given a hostile reception by some of the longtime employees

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unfavorable
opposed to one's interests the company's president vows to fight the hostile takeover by the giant corporation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hostile

2 of 2

noun

as in enemy
one that is hostile toward another reports of hostiles in the area kept the settlers on edge

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hostile
Adjective
Critics have accused Lai's Beijing-skeptic government of overreach, and of advancing a hostile agenda against China. — Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025 According to employment lawyer Richard Johnson, partner and co-founder of Ascent Law in Vancouver, Canada, employers have a duty to intervene when gossip creates a hostile or humiliating work environment. — Jason Walker Psyd, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025 At one point, the hearing shifted to concerns about hostile, belittling comments that Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made about America’s European allies. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025 They have been sent here by the hostile Maduro regime in Venezuela. — Nicole Brown Chau, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hostile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hostile
  1. negative
  2. unfavorable
  3. enemy
  4. adverse
  5. harmful
  6. opponent
  7. antagonistic
  8. foe
Adjective
  • Last month, Moody’s Ratings downgraded its outlook for the higher education sector from stable to negative, citing how federal policy changes have created a more difficult operating environment for colleges and universities.
    — Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Fifty-two percent of respondents said putting tariffs on vehicles will have a negative impact, including 53% of independents.
    — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2025
Definition of negative
Adjective
  • This line of thinking drives our perception of an unfavorable risk skew, which leads to the third recurring theme: diversification.
    — Jeffrey Schulze, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Why would foreigners accept such an unfavorable deal?
    — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2025
Definition of unfavorable
Noun
  • The recent successes in tracking and targeting enemy assets indicate a broader strategy to weaken the adversary’s military presence and capabilities.
    — Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2025
  • More often smoke is used for screening, placing a thick curtain of smoke between friendly and enemy forces.
    — David Hambling, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
Definition of enemy
Adjective
  • And while the metal is usually excreted from the body, and most people experience no adverse side effects, previous research has shown some gadolinium particles have been left behind.
    — John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
  • The foreign material could pose serious adverse health consequences, leading the FSIS to consider the recall a Class I—the agency's highest level of alert.
    — Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of adverse
Adjective
  • The debate over the law centers on balancing accountability for harmful content with the risks of censorship and stifled innovation.
    — Daryl Lim, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Shiny and minty, these balms provide a gloss-like effect while protecting your lips from the sun’s harmful rays.
    — Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of harmful
Noun
  • Holding Cuomo accountable for his misconduct is the key to victory for any Cuomo opponent.
    — Ryan Silverstein, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2025
  • In the postgame handshake line, the younger Herro had a heated exchange with an opponent.
    — Chantz Martin, Fox News, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of opponent
Adjective
  • The first two-thirds of Season 1 focused on the antagonistic relationship between Langdon and Santos.
    — Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Malicious hackers and antagonistic countries can already recognize and exploit vulnerabilities in threat detection models using AI agents.
    — Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Definition of antagonistic
Noun
  • Give me Tennesee to cover without too much trouble against a UCLA team that dominated its first-round foe, Utah State, but went just 23-10 (13-7 Big Ten) this year.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025
  • In the comics, Muse uses the blood of his victims to create his art and is a particularly difficult foe for Daredevil because of his powers.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025
Definition of foe

Browse Nearby Words

hostesses
hostile
hostilely
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hostile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hostile. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on hostile

Nglish: Translation of hostile for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See More

Popular

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

8 Words with Fascinating Histories
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a game of hangman on lined paper
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All