inhospitable

adjective

in·​hos·​pi·​ta·​ble ˌin-(ˌ)hä-ˈspi-tə-bəl  (ˌ)in-ˈhä-(ˌ)spi- 

1

: not showing hospitality : not friendly or receptive

2

: providing no shelter or sustenance

an inhospitable environment

inhospitableness noun

inhospitably

ˌin-(ˌ)hä-ˈspi-tə-blē 

(ˌ)in-ˈhä-(ˌ)spi-

adverb

Synonyms

• adversarial
• adversary
• antagonistic
• antipathetic
• hostile
• inimical
• jaundiced
• mortal
• negative
• unfriendly
• unsympathetic

Examples of inhospitable in a Sentence

It's very inhospitable of him to be so rude to strangers.

the proposal received an unexpectedly inhospitable response from the city council

Recent Examples on the Web

Natural Ways to Get Rid of Ticks Get rid of ticks naturally by making your yard inhospitable to them. —Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 July 2024

Nature can be our ally in helping people adapt to an increasingly inhospitable climate. —Carlos Claussell Velez, TIME, 9 July 2024

On the other hand, as the planet continues to warm even more dramatically, the Colorado transplants could become marooned on a metaphoric island, surrounded by forbidding heat, inhospitable prairie, and habitat-destroying development. —Christine Peterson, Vox, 1 July 2024

The wider public can seemingly agree on nothing, bar the fact that raw seafood can’t be properly executed in an environment so inhospitable as an airport. —Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

inhospitable

adjective

in·​hos·​pi·​ta·​ble ˌin-(ˌ)häs-ˈpit-ə-bəl  (ˈ)in-ˈhäs-(ˌ)pit- 

1

: not friendly or generous : not showing hospitality

2

: providing no shelter or food : barren

an inhospitable desert

inhospitably

-blē 

adverb

inhospitality

(ˌ)in-ˌhäs-pə-ˈtal-ət-ē

noun