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 of inhospitable

• 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 home as/under threat is a familiar trope, as is the woman villain, but Smart House represents much more than fears of accidental enclosure in an inhospitable space. —Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026

With only a few exceptions, humans live primarily in temperate regions, but an eclectic array of other creatures thrive in the inhospitable. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026

As one of four active partners at ALE, McDowell concentrates on logistics while making the inhospitable welcoming—even plush. —Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2026

Heat leads to dehydration, exhaustion and overall inhospitable conditions. —Devika Rao, TheWeek, 23 Mar. 2026

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