1
as in negative
marked by opposition or ill will
the suggestions for change were given a hostile reception by some of the longtime employees
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unfavorable
opposed to one's interests
the company's president vows to fight the hostile takeover by the giant corporation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in enemy
one that is hostile toward another
reports of hostiles in the area kept the settlers on edge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hostile
Kate Wells, NPR, 2 June 2026
The Kuwaiti military issued a statement saying it was forced to intercept several hostile missile and drone attacks on Monday.
—Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Matthew Stolle, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2026
Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello told jurors that Bushey had a history of acting hostile toward family members and that his sister’s abrupt presence in the home set him off, leading him to act out and her to fear for her safety.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hostile
Adjective
But in the post-COVID era, the sessions became hostile, ineffective, and sometimes even unsafe for staff, local health officials say.
—Kate Wells, NPR, 2 June 2026
The Kuwaiti military issued a statement saying it was forced to intercept several hostile missile and drone attacks on Monday.
—Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Noun
But no one has just been out-and-out hostile to him.
—Matthew Stolle, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2026
Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello told jurors that Bushey had a history of acting hostile toward family members and that his sister’s abrupt presence in the home set him off, leading him to act out and her to fear for her safety.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hostile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hostile
Adjective
-
Republicans can be convinced that negative stories about their candidates are media put-ons, and Democrats are a little envious that their voters haven’t adopted the same attitude of ignore, fight, move on, maybe sue.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
3 June 2026
-
The system features an open architecture that pairs a pure lithium metal negative electrode directly with ambient oxygen drawn from the surrounding atmosphere to act as the positive electrode reactant.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Public opinion towards it has sharply worsened in the last year, with majorities in most countries polled having unfavorable views towards it, and confidence in Netanyahu has plummeted.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
8 June 2026
-
Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, 80% had a somewhat or very unfavorable view.—
Philip Wang,
Time,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Because the Russian commanders keep attacking anyway, the Ukrainians are killing and wounding thousands of enemy soldiers, perhaps as many as 30,000, every month.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
-
Hunger and disease are always enemies that accompany war and sometimes can claim more lives than the fighting itself.—
William Lambers,
Hartford Courant,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
DeVries also feels that seniors should not hesitate to file police reports to document adverse incidents.—
Karie Angell Luc,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
-
The drug is designed to rapidly block platelets from clumping and restricting blood flow, lessening the adverse outcomes of a heart attack.—
Justin Zacks,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
In the layer of the upper atmosphere called the stratosphere, the gas creates a protective layer that shields Earthlings from harmful ultraviolet rays.—
Jeanna Bryner,
Scientific American,
8 June 2026
-
The data center near Quindaro doesn’t have the capacity to be as harmful as the center out west, and the impacts of having a data center in Quindaro wouldn’t equate to the same health risks as having a coal plant did, Gorman said.—
Sofi Zeman
June 8,
Kansas City Star,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Some opponents attacked his moderate views and his willingness to accept campaign donations from big oil companies like Chevron.—
National Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
-
Sand, who was unopposed on the primary ballot, learned who his opponent would be after Tuesday’s primary settled an unpredictable five-way Republican contest.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
His grit and antagonistic play gave San Jose a different element.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
Ali then exacts his revenge, pumping several rounds into Alamo's chest as the antagonistic figure falls for good.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
These are mostly just for show and style points though, as Lobo is capable of taking down almost any foe with his bare hands.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
6 June 2026
-
The Noises had to face Shoreline Conference foe Coginchaug, the 21st seed, for the fourth time in a Class S softball quarterfinal game.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hostile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hostile. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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