hostility

noun

hos·​til·​i·​ty hä-ˈsti-lə-tē How to pronounce hostility (audio)
plural hostilities
1
a
: deep-seated usually mutual ill will
glad to have gotten through the divorce proceedings without any visible signs of hostility
showed open hostility toward outsiders
b(1)
: hostile action
the Spanish expedition encountered hostility … and was forced to fleeR. W. Murray
(2)
hostilities plural : overt acts of warfare : war
Peace talks were stalled after recent hostilities.
2
: conflict, opposition, or resistance in thought or principle
there was tension, there was hostility and envy in the airTheodor Reik
Choose the Right Synonym for hostility

enmity, hostility, antipathy, antagonism, animosity, rancor, animus mean deep-seated dislike or ill will.

enmity suggests positive hatred which may be open or concealed.

an unspoken enmity

hostility suggests an enmity showing itself in attacks or aggression.

hostility between the two nations

antipathy and antagonism imply a natural or logical basis for one's hatred or dislike, antipathy suggesting repugnance, a desire to avoid or reject, and antagonism suggesting a clash of temperaments leading readily to hostility.

a natural antipathy for self-seekers
antagonism between the brothers

animosity suggests intense ill will and vindictiveness that threaten to kindle hostility.

animosity that led to revenge

rancor is especially applied to bitter brooding over a wrong.

rancor filled every line of his letters

animus adds to animosity the implication of strong prejudice.

objections devoid of personal animus

Examples of hostility in a Sentence

They were both glad to have gotten through the divorce proceedings without any visible signs of hostility. The townspeople showed open hostility to outsiders. Peace talks were stalled after recent hostilities. Both sides are calling for a cessation of hostilities.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That would basically say that he wouldn't have been prosecuted if not for the president's hostility toward him. Brittney Melton, NPR, 8 Oct. 2025 Two-thirds of Israelis want an end to the war in Gaza—an increase of 13 percentage points from a year ago—according to a poll that found the fate of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023, the main reason for a desire for hostilities to end. Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025 She was greeted with fascination, respect and very little hostility, per the BBC. Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025 If Your Party wants to avoid a similar fate, it would be well advised to be disciplined and electorally oriented—and to drop single-issue activism, hostility to Labour, and inept, baggage-laden figures such as Corbyn. Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hostility

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hostilite, hostilitie, borrowed from Late Latin hostīlitāt-, hostīlitās, from Latin hostīlis "of an enemy, hostile" + -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hostility was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hostility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hostility. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

hostility

noun
hos·​til·​i·​ty hä-ˈstil-ət-ē How to pronounce hostility (audio)
plural hostilities
1
: a hostile state, attitude, or action
2
plural : acts of warfare

Medical Definition

hostility

noun
hos·​til·​i·​ty hä-ˈstil-ət-ē How to pronounce hostility (audio)
plural hostilities
: conflict, opposition, or resistance in thought or principle
hostile adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on hostility

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