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

This is due to the surrounding area’s inhospitable nature, defined by scorching heat (often above 100 degrees F) and low average rainfall. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 25 Nov. 2025

Essentially desert country, its porous, sandy soil is inhospitable to all but a few types of shallow-root crops. —Sean Patrick Cooper, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025

The father and son walk through their inhospitable world dressed like the Christ child, in swaddling clothes, with no place to lay their heads. —Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025

Preventive habits include using indoor air filtration and protective eyewear to better protect yourself and your eyes from these inhospitable conditions. —William Jones, Ascend Agency, 11 Nov. 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