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

Many students justify this by arguing that some speakers are racist, homophobic or hostile to other disadvantaged groups. — The Economist, "The global gag on free speech is tightening," 17 Aug. 2019 Some chide them for playing into Beijing’s claim that hostile foreign forces are behind the demonstrations. — Yanan Wang, BostonGlobe.com, "Hong Kong residents increasingly caught in the fray of protests," 10 Aug. 2019 The climate is changing, as a result of our past and current negligence, and its hazards are hostile to us all. — Philip B. Russell, The Mercury News, "Opinion: If JFK were alive today, he would seek another giant leap for mankind," 19 July 2019 To keep hostile forces away from the base, the U.S. has established a 35-mile deconfliction zone around the base, which the Pentagon says has had the side benefit of deterring Iranian activities in this area. — Michael R. Gordon, WSJ, "A Small U.S. Base Gets in Iran’s Way—but Maybe Not for Long," 27 Dec. 2018 Perhaps the hostile atmosphere will inspire the disgraced duo to play some superlative innings, worthy of the hallowed trophy. — M.j., The Economist, "The Ashes will feature the weakest pair of cricket teams in decades," 31 July 2019 Walker is concerned that such craft could be flown by hostile powers, such as Russia or China, demonstrating technology far superior than what's publicly flown by the U.S. government. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Congressman Asks Navy If UFOs Are Actually Foreign Aircraft," 30 July 2019 As the name implies, the encounter phase begins when the players encounter a challenge—maybe a hostile creatures appears to signal the start of combat (classic tabletop) example. — Sam Ferguson, Ars Technica, "How to follow-up Pathfinder? Improve the game, don’t radically change its character," 30 July 2019 DiMarco visits a restaurant and attempts to use sign language to communicate with the waiter, but he’s met with some fairly hostile deaf discrimination. — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, "Watch a preview of deaf model, actor Nyle DiMarco on ABC’s What Would You Do? premiere," 30 July 2019

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

18 Aug 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