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

There are also planets like WASP-193b, which is larger than Jupiter but light and wispy like cotton candy, and inhospitable worlds like WASP-107b, where sandy clouds high in the atmosphere fall like rain onto the surface. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025

On board, Inuit ambassadors provide additional insight into the landscape, the wildlife, and the human face of what appears to be an inhospitable region. —Robin Catalano, AFAR Media, 15 Sep. 2025

As birds’ traditional resting and nesting spots become inhospitable, a more sobering question is whether improvements can happen rapidly enough. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025

The Physicians for Human Rights—Israel report acknowledged that the long-term damage in Gaza is making life inhospitable for residents. —Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 29 July 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