as in hostility
a deep-seated ill will
his open animosity towards us made our meeting very uncomfortable
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of animosity
Having avoided the subsequent turbulent decolonization movements experienced by, say, France, Great Britain or Belgium throughout the 1950s and ’60s, Italy has largely been able to avoid postcolonial animosity, enabling it to maintain ambiguous ties with African and Arab states.
—
Kaitlyn Rabe,
The Conversation,
16 June 2026
The Champions League finals won in dramatic fashion by Real Madrid in 2014 and 2016 only served to deepen the animosity between the two city rivals.
—
Jessica Hopkins,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
Sacramento County prosecutors said the men, along with Dandrae Martin’s brother, Smiley Martin, Harris, Turner, and Hoye, were gang rivals whose animosities erupted on downtown K Street.
—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
During the course of the series so far, the two best teams in baseball had become the bitterest of rivals, the animosity between them fueled by the Cubs’ treatment of their teammate Mark Koenig, a versatile infielder who’d been traded from the Yankees in mid-season.
—
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for animosity
Kaitlyn Rabe,
The Conversation,
16 June 2026
The Champions League finals won in dramatic fashion by Real Madrid in 2014 and 2016 only served to deepen the animosity between the two city rivals.
—
Jessica Hopkins,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
Sacramento County prosecutors said the men, along with Dandrae Martin’s brother, Smiley Martin, Harris, Turner, and Hoye, were gang rivals whose animosities erupted on downtown K Street.
—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
During the course of the series so far, the two best teams in baseball had become the bitterest of rivals, the animosity between them fueled by the Cubs’ treatment of their teammate Mark Koenig, a versatile infielder who’d been traded from the Yankees in mid-season.
—
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for animosity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for animosity
Noun
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The accord called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a halt to hostilities across the region, including in Lebanon.
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The memorandum of understanding calls for an end to all hostilities, including in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have been fighting Hezbollah.
Noun
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So exemplary was Bergeron’s career, on the ice and off, there are no lingering grudges in this or that city, no bills to pay, no scores to settle.
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But pretty soon the two interlopers into this small, grudge-holding but tight-knit community — the kind where, going back generations, everybody not only knows but is mightily resentful of everyone else’s business — develop a kind of outsider kinship.
Noun
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Police investigations showed that the pair are suspected of displaying seditious items and selling publications with seditious content inside the shop, including materials inciting hatred against the city's government, the judiciary and law enforcement agencies, the government said.
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Not drinking seemed to me synonymous with a hatred of pleasure, a fascist quest for purity.
Noun
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And after spending most of Sunday as the guy the crowd didn’t want to see close the deal, Clark didn’t respond with bitterness.
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Crisp and refreshing, the drink’s grapefruit bitterness was softened by carbonation, giving Mexico’s national cocktail a lively upgrade.
Cite this Entry
“Animosity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/animosity. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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