unfriendly

adjective

un·​friend·​ly ˌən-ˈfren(d)-lē 

: not friendly: such as

a

: hostile, unsympathetic

an unfriendly nation

b

: inhospitable, unfavorable

Synonyms

• icy
• frigid
• cold
• chilly
• cool

Examples of unfriendly in a Sentence

They were very unfriendly to us.

the unfriendly looks quickly warmed when we were recognized as long-unseen relatives

Recent Examples on the Web

Cryptocurrency and crypto adjacent businesses were unpopular during the Biden years, gun and gun manufacturers when Barack Obama occupied the White House, while in Republican leaning U.S. locales like Texas, banks have experienced trouble if viewed as unfriendly to oil & gas interests. —John Tamny, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025

Flood asked, which received an unfriendly response from the crowd. —Lauren Peller, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2025

Early long-range computer models don’t show any particular trend with this system; some show a curve north, away from land, others show a more western path, where conditions could be unfriendly for development. —Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2025

However, even inside an unfriendly market, Giddey has reason to negotiate for more. —Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 28 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unfriendly

• friendly

Kids Definition

unfriendly

adjective

un·​friend·​ly ˌən-ˈfren-(d)lē 

1

: not friendly or kind : hostile

an unfriendly greeting

2

: not agreeable

an unfriendly environment

unfriendliness noun