hostile
adjective
hos·tile
ˈhä-stᵊl 
-ˌstī(-ə)l
-ˌstī(-ə)l
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
Synonyms
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.
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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.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
China, once a very important market for Hollywood films, has been hostile to non-local language titles.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 19 Nov. 2023
Trump’s ire was less likely directed at Orsted and more at wind energy in general, which makes up a pillar of the renewable energy drive to which the right has been actively hostile.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 17 Nov. 2023
The federal law requires schools to protect students from discrimination and respond to harassment that creates a hostile environment.
—Collin Binkley, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2023
The city, still ruled by Jim Crow laws, proved hostile.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Nov. 2023
The White House dismisses the Republican critiques, saying Biden has rebuilt the United States’ global standing after the stormy tenure of President Donald Trump, who could be friendly to longtime U.S. adversaries and hostile to its traditional partners.
—Toluse Olorunnipa, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023
Israel’s supporters see calls to drop Nimbus, and other efforts to boycott the country, as hostile to the Jewish state.
—Mike Isaac, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2023
And while the model may be able to capture the contrasting peaceful or hostile attitudes exhibited by a country’s government, those may not represent the views of the majority of its citizens, Tropp says.
—Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2023
Actors and performers Anjelika Washington, Chloe Arnold, Chelsea Tavares, and Daisha Graf spoke about their experiences with navigating these hostile environments.
—Essence, 6 Nov. 2023
See More
Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 19 Nov. 2023
Trump’s ire was less likely directed at Orsted and more at wind energy in general, which makes up a pillar of the renewable energy drive to which the right has been actively hostile.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 17 Nov. 2023
The federal law requires schools to protect students from discrimination and respond to harassment that creates a hostile environment.
—Collin Binkley, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2023
The city, still ruled by Jim Crow laws, proved hostile.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Nov. 2023
The White House dismisses the Republican critiques, saying Biden has rebuilt the United States’ global standing after the stormy tenure of President Donald Trump, who could be friendly to longtime U.S. adversaries and hostile to its traditional partners.
—Toluse Olorunnipa, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023
Israel’s supporters see calls to drop Nimbus, and other efforts to boycott the country, as hostile to the Jewish state.
—Mike Isaac, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2023
And while the model may be able to capture the contrasting peaceful or hostile attitudes exhibited by a country’s government, those may not represent the views of the majority of its citizens, Tropp says.
—Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2023
Actors and performers Anjelika Washington, Chloe Arnold, Chelsea Tavares, and Daisha Graf spoke about their experiences with navigating these hostile environments.
—Essence, 6 Nov. 2023
See More
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
Phrases Containing hostile
Dictionary Entries Near hostile
Cite this Entry
“Hostile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hostile. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
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
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 defendant—J. H. Friedenthal et al.
J. 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
Nglish: Translation of hostile for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of hostile for Arabic Speakers
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