hostile

adjective hos·tile \ ˈhä-stᵊl , -ˌstī(-ə)l \

Definition of hostile

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

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hostile

noun

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hostilely

play \ˈhä-stᵊl-(l)ē, -ˌstī(-ə)l-lē\ adverb

See hostile defined for English-language learners

See hostile defined for kids

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 of hostile from the Web

The Marines, for example, are notoriously hostile to female service members.

— krystin arneson, Glamour, "Donald Trump Declared Saturday Women's Equality Day—But Didn't Quite Get It Right," 26 Aug. 2017
My lawyer said this had never happened in all his years practicing as a specialist in hostile work environments.

— vanityfair.com, "Hollywood Manager’s Despicably Sexist E-Mails Leaked," 11 Aug. 2017
What's more, firing Damore may have kept Google on the right side of the law, if the company or its employees felt that the memo had created a work environment that was hostile to women.

— josh eidelson and jordyn holman, chicagotribune.com, "Fired Googler faces headwinds making legal case he's the victim," 8 Aug. 2017
If third-wave feminism unnaturally denies masculinity, then the alt-right reaction perverts it into a performative, combative contest nearly as hostile as misandrist feminism itself.

— tiana lowe, National Review, "In Trump’s Turbulent White House, Women Skirt the Drama," 7 Aug. 2017
Designed in the 1950s, the U-2 became famous during the Cold War for its overflights of the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, and other hostile countries.

— kyle mizokami, Car and Driver, "Why the Tesla Model S Is the Chase Car for the Air Force’s U-2 Spy Plane [Video]," 1 Aug. 2017
I was fascinated by the state’s early violent history, the contrast between the tourist-friendly east coast and the rather more hostile interior, the dramatic changes of its seasons.

— john connolly, Town & Country, "What to Read On Your Summer Vacation," 18 July 2017
Ride, who play Pitchfork on Sunday afternoon, learned two decades ago that fans and even critics can be hostile to experimentation.

— annie zaleski, Chicago Reader, "Pitchfork’s veteran acts confront the trap of the crowd favorite," 12 July 2017
There is already a massive gender imbalance in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, and hostile work environments can push women from pursuing career opportunities or drive them out of the field altogether.

— meredith clark, Glamour, "Women of Color Don't Feel Safe in Science Jobs, New Study Finds," 10 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hostile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of hostile

Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin hostilis, from hostis

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1580

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hostile Synonyms

Synonyms

adversarial, adversary, antagonistic, antipathetic, inhospitable, inimical, jaundiced, mortal, negative, unfriendly, unsympathetic

Antonyms

friendly, hospitable, nonantagonistic, nonhostile, sympathetic

Near Antonyms

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

HOSTILE Defined for English Language Learners

hostile

adjective

Definition of hostile for English Language Learners

: of or relating to an enemy
: not friendly : having or showing unfriendly feelings
: unpleasant or harsh

HOSTILE Defined for Kids

hostile

adjective hos·tile \ ˈhä-stᵊl \

Definition of hostile for Students

1 :belonging to or relating to an enemy

They entered hostile territory.

2 :unfriendly 1

He moved to get away from hostile neighbors.

Law Dictionary

hostile

adjective hos·tile

legal Definition of hostile

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 defendant
—J. H. Friedenthal et al.

3 a :adverse to or incompatible with the interests of a property owner