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

• hostile
• negative

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

The last true wilderness of Europe, the inhospitable Accursed Mountains have never been fully explored. —Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025

Iceland’s frozen, inhospitable winters have long protected it from mosquitoes, but that may be changing. —Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025

Situated high in the Andes, the area is nearly inhospitable with winds whipping through the mountains and temperatures plummeting. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025

But lately a massive restoration project is bringing life back to the inhospitable coast, reinvigorating the marshes and inviting birds and fish and other creatures back to their former homes. —Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025

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