1
a
: of or relating to an enemy
hostile fire
b
: marked by malevolence : having or showing unfriendly feelings
a hostile act
c
: openly opposed or resisting
a hostile critic
hostile to new ideas
d(1)
: not hospitable
plants growing in a hostile environment
(2)
: having an intimidating, antagonistic, or offensive nature
a hostile workplace
2
a
: of or relating to the opposing party in a legal controversy
a hostile witness
b
: adverse to the interests of a property owner or corporation management
a hostile takeover
hostile noun
hostilely
ˈhä-stᵊl-(l)ē How to pronounce hostile (audio)
-ˌstī(-ə)l-lē
adverb

Examples of hostile in a Sentence

Dugoni, a lawyer who coauthored a nonfiction book about an Idaho worker brain-damaged in 1996 by cyanide fumes, opens his debut novel with a wrongful death attorney in San Francisco, David Sloane, about to make his closing remarks defending a corporation in a similar case. Sloane, who has won 14 cases in a row, hates his arrogant client and must face an obviously hostile jury. Publishers Weekly, 9 Jan. 2006
Relations with neighboring societies may be intermittently or chronically hostile. A society may be able to hold off its enemies as long as it is strong, only to succumb when it becomes weakened for any reason, including environmental damage. Jared M. Diamond, Collapse, 2005
I do not want a hostile relationship with my surgeon. But it's obvious he's pigeonholed me into the last of the four patient categories that doctors use when writing a case history: young, middle-aged, senior, elderly. Sylvia Simmons, Newsweek, 10 June 2002
Even when one is inside a climate-controlled spacecraft, sheltered from the deadly vacuum outside, space is a hostile setting. Terrestrial organisms venturing off the planet face a number of threats, chief among them cosmic radiation and the near absence of gravity. Kenneth S. Kosik, Air & Space, June/July 2001
Lotus Development Corp. succumbed to a sweetened offer of $3.52 billion, or $64 a share, from International Business Machines Corp. in one of the fastest capitulations ever in a hostile takeover. A marathon week of negotiations, which began shortly after IBM unveiled a surprise bid of $60 a share for Lotus last Monday, ended yesterday with the signing of a definitive agreement. Laurie Hays et al., Wall Street Journal, 12 June 1995
While the stereotype of the tortured artist brooding alone in a drafty garret may be an exaggeration, artists of all kinds—painters, musicians, poets, singers—often find themselves struggling to cope in a … world downright hostile to their work. Financial hardships, loneliness, family members who nag them to get "real" jobs, and their own self-destructive attitudes and habits can block creativity and prevent artists from pursuing their vision. New Age Journal, Winter 1995
They were entering hostile territory. Her suggestions were given a hostile reception. It was a small town that was hostile to outsiders. The camel is specially adapted to its hostile desert habitat.
Recent Examples on the Web The artist wants to give these painful histories a chance to regenerate, allowing life to flourish in the hostile conditions known by those who identify as Black, nonbinary, transfeminine. Zachary Small, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024 It's divided into regions featuring major landmarks, fast travel points, and hostile settlements that need liberation. PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2024 In addition, the bill gives the U.S. president latitude to determine which apps controlled by hostile foreign governments should be subject to the divestiture requirement. Todd Spangler, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024 Through the latter half of the 20th century, women frequently faced unequal and hostile conditions on the job. Katherine Gallagher Robbins, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024 According to family and friends, Nex Benedict identified as nonbinary and their death February 8 in Owasso drew national attention, with multiple vigils taking place for the teen throughout the US, as advocates pointed to a heightened and hostile climate against the LGBTQ+ community. Cindy Von Quednow and Amy Simonson, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Why did the obviously brilliant Robert Oppenheimer so suddenly and completely collapse under hostile interrogation at the 1954 loyalty hearing? TIME, 8 Mar. 2024 One professor described incidents where Jewish and Israeli MIT students were physically prevented from attending a class by a hostile group of pro-Hamas and anti-Israel MIT students. Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 10 Mar. 2024 However, the atmosphere around assistive robots has gotten less hostile recently, as they've been utilized in many positive use cases. Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 9 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hostile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hostile was in 1580

Dictionary Entries Near hostile

Cite this Entry

“Hostile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hostile. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hostile

adjective
hos·​tile ˈhäs-tᵊl How to pronounce hostile (audio) -ˌtīl How to pronounce hostile (audio)
1
: of or relating to an enemy
hostile troops
2
: showing open resistance or opposition
a hostile critic
hostile to new things
3
: not hospitable : forbidding
a hostile environment
hostilely
-tᵊl-(l)ē How to pronounce hostile (audio)
-tīl-lē
adverb
Etymology

from early French hostile or Latin hostilis, both meaning "hostile," from Latin hostis "stranger, enemy" — related to hospital, host entry 1

Legal Definition

hostile

adjective
hos·​tile
1
: having an intimidating, antagonistic, or offensive nature
a hostile work environment
2
a
: of or relating to an opposing party in a legal action
a hostile claim
b
: adverse to the interests of a party to a legal action
if the interests of the party joined involuntarily render him hostile to the original plaintiff, he must remain a defendantJ. H. Friedenthal et al.
3
a
: adverse to or incompatible with the interests of a property owner
a hostile use
see also adverse possession at possession, easement by prescription at easement, prescription sense 1
b
: unwelcome by or contrary to the interests of corporate stockholders or management
a hostile takeover bid

More from Merriam-Webster on hostile

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