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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hostile
Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2025
Faced with a rather hostile housing market and an uncertain economic prospect, Gen Z is increasingly choosing to rent.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Robert S. Gable, IEEE Spectrum, 20 July 2017
See All Example Sentences for hostile
Adjective
The guidelines also advises dog owners hiking to release their pet or pets if approached by a hostile cow herd to protect their own safety, according to Reuters.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2025
Faced with a rather hostile housing market and an uncertain economic prospect, Gen Z is increasingly choosing to rent.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Noun
And, unfortunately, the monitoring idea was born into a world hostile to its very premise.
—Robert S. Gable, IEEE Spectrum, 20 July 2017
See All Example Sentences for hostile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hostile
Adjective
-
However, a number of attendees posted negative comments about the event on social media, with many claiming that the experience was chaotic and poorly organized.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
-
But let’s face it - any kind of drama on social media, positive or negative, is good for any reality competition show (or any series, for that matter).—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
According to a Pew Research Center survey, half of Americans hold an unfavorable opinion of the Supreme Court.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The latest national polls from groups like Reuters/Ipsos, Civiqs, AP/NORC, Gallup and more have the president's overall approval rating marked as unfavorable once again.—
Joyce Orlando,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Under orders from General Erinmore (Colin Firth), the pair must traverse enemy lines to deliver a life-or-death message to Colonel Mackenzie (Benedict Cumberbatch), halting an attack that would endanger more than 1,000 men.—
Emy LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The enemy terrorizes and kills our people across the country every day.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The specialty retailer’s chief financial officer, Robert Ball, said Abercrombie has seen about $5 million in adverse impact from tariffs during the second quarter, chiefly manifested in the cost of sales, and expects $90 million net impact from tariffs for the year.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
4 Sep. 2025
-
This tool helps with reading, writing, summarizing, adverse-event profile reviews, label comparisons, clinical protocol assessments, and even generating database code.—
Sixteen Ramos,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In more extreme cases, happiness can also be derived from sources that are harmful to others.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
That chamber is sealed, plus the SoftGel is non-toxic, so harmful fumes reportedly shouldn't be a problem.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
These projections estimate how many points each team would be expected to score and allow in a game against an average opponent at a neutral site.—
Austin Mock,
New York Times,
2 Sep. 2025
-
About a half-dozen opponents outside of ACC play are projected to be among the country's top 75 teams.—
Leo Bertucci,
The Courier-Journal,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Esmeralda comes closest, but her role (at least in the early episodes) is more of an antagonistic one.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
For much of its past, consciousness research has always seemed rather antagonistic.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Familiar foes Idaho and Washington State will open their 2025 NCAA schedules against one another on Saturday in the 93rd edition of the Battle of the Palouse.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Aug. 2025
-
Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez, the mayor’s top foe on the 13-seat commission, blasted Levine Cava’s recent reveal of a budget situation that is less dire than first presented.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
30 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hostile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hostile. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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