hostile

adjective

hos·tile | \ ˈhä-stᵊl

, -ˌstī(-ə)l

Definition of hostile

1a : 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

2a : 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

Other Words from hostile Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about hostile

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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

Or, to put it another way, these infractions are the products not of our system working correctly, but of its being rejected by a progressivism that is openly hostile to its presumptions. — Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, "The Post-Liberals’ Incoherence," 20 June 2019 Many educators view Florida leaders as hostile to public education, passing laws and budgets in the last decade that made their work and their take-home pay less desirable. — Leslie Postal, orlandosentinel.com, "Seminole teachers to vote on 3% raises, salary negotiations continue in Orange, Lake," 18 June 2019 But doesn’t a fervent belief in one’s own religious truth make one hostile to others who believe differently or don’t believe at all? — Abiya Ahmed, The Mercury News, "Opinion: We must not forget value of religious people in society," 16 June 2019 Experts say the movement could cut both ways for the comedian, making some potential jurors more hostile toward him and others more likely to think men are being unfairly accused. — Chicago Tribune, chicagotribune.com, "#MeToo: A timeline of events," 13 June 2019 Quinnipiac University business professor David Cadden says the departures are giving Connecticut a reputation for being hostile toward businesses, whether that is true or not. — Washington Post, "United Technologies’ departure another blow to Connecticut," 10 June 2019 John Bursch, an attorney with the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group that represented Stutzman, said the state has been hostile toward her religious beliefs. — NBC News, "Washington state's top court rules against Christian florist who refused gay wedding," 7 June 2019 Since some victims are public agencies or receive government funding, taxpayer money may end up in the hands of cybercriminals in countries hostile to the U.S. such as Russia and Iran. — Renee Dudley, ProPublica, "The Trade Secret Firms That Promised High-Tech Ransomware Solutions Almost Always Just Pay the Hackers," 15 May 2019 Conservative intellectuals are still broadly hostile toward stronger enforcement of antitrust laws, and there's no reason to expect a general conservative rethink of their views of antitrust policy. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Newly elected Republican senator could be Google’s fiercest critic," 24 Nov. 2018

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.

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Last Updated

23 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for hostile

The first known use of hostile was in 1580

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More Definitions for hostile

hostile

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of hostile

: of or relating to an enemy

: not friendly : having or showing unfriendly feelings

: unpleasant or harsh

See the full definition for hostile in the English Language Learners Dictionary

hostile

adjective

hos·tile | \ ˈhä-stᵊl

Kids Definition of hostile

1 : belonging to or relating to an enemy They entered hostile territory.

2 : unfriendly sense 1 He moved to get away from hostile neighbors.

hostile

adjective

hos·tile

Legal Definition of hostile

1 : having an intimidating, antagonistic, or offensive nature a hostile work environment

2a : 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.

3a : 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