Synonyms of adversarial

adversarial

adjective

ˌad-vər-ˈser-ē-əl 

as in hostile

marked by opposition or ill will

the relationship between the president and the congress should not be adversarial if anything is to get done

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hostile
• negative
• antagonistic
• adverse
• contentious
• adversary
• conflicting
• opposed
• unfavorable
• unfriendly
• inimical
• inhospitable
• antipathetic
• unpleasant
• unsympathetic
• jaundiced
• combative
• militant
• mortal
• belligerent
• malicious
• bellicose
• contrary
• icy
• pugnacious
• quarrelsome
• argumentative
• resisting
• frigid
• antisocial
• clashing
• truculent
• disputatious
• distant
• disagreeable
• biased
• bitter
• rude
• acrimonious
• vindictive
• cold
• scrappy
• disapproving
• hateful
• prejudiced
• spiteful
• malignant
• discourteous
• uncivil
• unkind
• malevolent
• virulent
• rancorous
• unsociable
• malign
• impolite
• unmannerly
• surly
• inconsiderate
• unloving
• cool
• impertinent
• opprobrious
• ill-mannered
• despiteful
• ill-bred

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sympathetic
• civil
• friendly
• social
• hospitable
• cordial
• amiable
• pleasant
• warm
• amicable
• convivial
• neighborly
• genial
• affable
• gracious
• sociable
• nonhostile
• companionable
• gregarious
• kind
• loving
• affectionate
• sweet
• good-natured
• nonantagonistic
• favorable
• comradely
• benign
• devoted
• nice
• kindly
• agreeable
• accepting
• empathetic
• good-tempered
• understanding
• welcoming
• approving
• warmhearted

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of adversarial

The threat can become greater in the face of an adversarial prompt, in which an attacker attempts to cause a model to carry out a harmful action, such as revealing a password or other sensitive information. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2026

The scenes that generate the most sparks tend to be those between Murdoch and Lamb, becoming more adversarial when the editor starts operating by his own rules. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026

The approach uses adversarial inverse reinforcement learning (AIRL) to learn walking strategies from stick insects. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026

Ironically, Weckert used AI to design the pattern, using a kind of trial and error called an adversarial loop. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 26 Aug. 2026