Hostile — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈhä-stᵊl/ hos·tile

Meaning & Definition of Hostile

Hostile (adjective)

  1. of or relating to an enemy
  2. marked by malevolence, having or showing unfriendly feelings
  3. openly opposed or resisting

Hostile (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. marked by opposition or ill will

    "the suggestions for change were given a hostile reception by some of the longtime employees"

    similar: adversarial, adversary, antagonistic, antipathetic, inhospitable, inimical, jaundiced, mortal, negative, unfriendly, unsympathetic
    related: adverse, argumentative, bellicose, belligerent, clashing, combative, conflicting, contentious, contrary, disputatious, militant, opposed, pugnacious, quarrelsome, resisting, scrappy, truculent, antisocial, cold, cool, disagreeable, disapproving, distant, frigid, icy, biased, prejudiced, discourteous, ill-bred, ill-mannered, impertinent, impolite, inconsiderate, rude, surly, uncivil, unfavorable, unkind, unmannerly, unpleasant, unsociable, acrimonious, bitter, despiteful, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, opprobrious, rancorous, spiteful, unloving, vindictive, virulent
    opposite: friendly, hospitable, nonantagonistic, nonhostile, sympathetic
    near: affable, amiable, amicable, civil, companionable, comradely, convivial, cordial, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, gregarious, neighborly, pleasant, sociable, social, warm, affectionate, devoted, kind, kindly, loving, nice, sweet, accepting, agreeable, approving, benign, empathetic, favorable, understanding, warmhearted, welcoming

  2. opposed to one's interests

    "the company's president vows to fight the hostile takeover by the giant corporation"

    similar: adverse, counter, disadvantageous, inimical, negative, prejudicial, unfavorable, unfriendly, unsympathetic, untoward
    related: bad, baleful, baneful, evil, damaging, deleterious, destructive, detrimental, fatal, harmful, hurtful, ill, injurious, lethal, malignant, murderous, noxious, pernicious, poisonous, ruinous, threatening, troublesome, unhealthy, wounding, dangerous, hazardous, imperiling, jeopardizing, parlous, perilous, risky, unsafe, calumnious, defamatory, detractive, offensive, scathing, slanderous, antagonistic, antipathetic, inhospitable, intolerant, uncongenial, uncooperative, competing, conflicting, counteracting, countering, opposing, resistant, resisting
    opposite: advantageous, favorable, friendly, positive, supportive, sympathetic, well-disposed
    near: beneficial, good, helpful, propitious, useful, harmless, innocent, innocuous, inoffensive, nondestructive, nonfatal, nonlethal, nonthreatening, unresistant, tolerant, understanding, affable, agreeable, amiable, amicable, benign, benignant, complying, congenial, cordial, friendly, hospitable

Hostile (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. one that is hostile toward another

    "reports of hostiles in the area kept the settlers on edge"

    similar: adversary, antagonist, enemy, foe, opponent
    related: archenemy, archfoe, nemesis, ill-wisher, bane, bête noire, assailant, attacker, combatant, invader, competitor, emulator, rival
    opposite: amigo, friend
    near: buddy, chum, compadre, crony, fellow, hail-fellow, hail-fellow-well-met, hearty, hobnobber, mate, musketeer, pal, abettor, accomplice, ally, collaborator, colleague, comrade, confederate, friendly, partner, adherent, disciple, follower, backer, benefactor, exponent, supporter, sympathizer, well-wisher

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Hostile

The most common words with a similar meaning to Hostile:

adversarial, adversary, antagonistic, antipathetic, inhospitable, inimical, jaundiced, mortal, negative, unfriendly, unsympathetic, adverse, counter, disadvantageous, prejudicial, unfavorable, untoward, antagonist, enemy, foe, opponent

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Hostile

Words with the opposite meaning of Hostile:

friendly, hospitable, nonantagonistic, nonhostile, sympathetic, advantageous, favorable, positive, supportive, well-disposed, amigo, friend

Related Words for Hostile

argumentative, bellicose, belligerent, clashing, combative, conflicting, contentious, contrary, disputatious, militant, opposed, pugnacious, quarrelsome, resisting, scrappy, truculent, antisocial, cold, cool, disagreeable, disapproving, distant, frigid, icy, biased, prejudiced, discourteous, ill-bred, ill-mannered, impertinent

Near Antonyms of Hostile

affable, amiable, amicable, civil, companionable, comradely, convivial, cordial, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, gregarious, neighborly, pleasant, sociable, social, warm, affectionate, devoted, kind, kindly, loving, nice, sweet, accepting, agreeable, approving, benign, empathetic

Word Forms of Hostile

Derived words: hostile (noun), hostilely (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Hostile

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin hostīlis, from hostis "enemy" + -īlis "pertaining to or characteristic of (such persons)" host:4

First known use: 1580

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Hostile

Words & Phrases Containing Hostile

hostile takeover, hostile witness

Frequently Asked Questions about Hostile

What does "Hostile" mean?

"Hostile" means of or relating to an enemy. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: of or relating to an enemy. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Hostile"?

Other words for "Hostile" include adversarial, adversary, antagonistic, antipathetic, inhospitable, inimical, jaundiced and mortal. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Hostile" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Hostile"?

There are 132 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Hostile". Common alternatives include adversarial, adversary, antagonistic, antipathetic, inhospitable, inimical, jaundiced, mortal, negative and unfriendly.

What is the opposite of "Hostile"?

Antonyms of "Hostile" include friendly, hospitable, nonantagonistic, nonhostile, sympathetic, advantageous, favorable and positive. Near antonyms include affable, amiable, amicable and civil.

How do you use "Hostile" in a sentence?

Examples of "Hostile" in a sentence: "the suggestions for change were given a hostile reception by some of the longtime employees"; "the company's president vows to fight the hostile takeover by the giant corporation"; "reports of hostiles in the area kept the settlers on edge".

Is "Hostile" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Hostile" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Hostile" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Hostile" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Hostile"?

"Hostile" is pronounced /ˈhä-stᵊl/ and divided into syllables as hos·tile.