Synonym Chooser

How does the noun hostility differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of hostility are animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, enmity, and rancor. While all these words mean "deep-seated dislike or ill will," hostility suggests an enmity showing itself in attacks or aggression.

hostility between the two nations

Where would animosity be a reasonable alternative to hostility?

The words animosity and hostility are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, animosity suggests intense ill will and vindictiveness that threaten to kindle hostility.

animosity that led to revenge

When might animus be a better fit than hostility?

While the synonyms animus and hostility are close in meaning, animus adds to animosity the implication of strong prejudice.

objections devoid of personal animus

How do antipathy and antagonism relate to one another, in the sense of hostility?

Both antipathy and antagonism imply a natural or logical basis for one's hatred or dislike, antipathy suggesting repugnance, a desire to avoid or reject, and antagonism suggesting a clash of temperaments leading readily to hostility.

a natural antipathy for self-seekers
antagonism between the brothers

When can enmity be used instead of hostility?

Although the words enmity and hostility have much in common, enmity suggests positive hatred which may be open or concealed.

an unspoken enmity

When is rancor a more appropriate choice than hostility?

The synonyms rancor and hostility are sometimes interchangeable, but rancor is especially applied to bitter brooding over a wrong.

rancor filled every line of his letters

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hostility Politicians in both countries have instrumentalized the hostility to win legitimacy, selectively playing up grievances with the other side. Thomas De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 22 Sep. 2025 The tension and hostility toward the left on my campus has been palpable. Eli Thompson, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025 The way Zohran Mamdani—the son of an Indian-Ugandan Muslim scholar of Africa—has repudiated these values, along with his adherence to a cosmopolitan vision of peace and justice, guarantees extreme hostility to him among the Establishment. Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025 John Cleese and Piers Morgan have renewed their social media hostilities over Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension and Donald Trump‘s state visit to the UK. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hostility
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hostility
Noun
  • And hatred rather than ideology is the animating force?
    David Remnick, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
  • More violence, more anger, more hatred.
    Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Fearing conflict or rejection will only complicate things under the Sagittarius moon.
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
  • On one side of the conflict was Skeet and many of his immediate family members and longtime allies; on the other was Skeet’s own nephew, Constable Brandon Jones, who came to represent those who had run afoul of his own family.
    Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Darkly funny and deeply melancholic, the film turns the family estate into a pressure cooker of grief, grudges and reluctant affection.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025
  • After Abe’s assassination in 2022 by a suspect who said he was motivated by a grudge against the church, an internal survey in the LDP later found that nearly half of the party’s members had links to it.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The titan Chronos, patriarch to all the gods, returns to get revenge for his imprisonment at the hands of his children, taking control of Tartarus and simultaneously waging war on the mortal world via Mount Olympus.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Mature private capital markets and strategic acquirers with heavy war-chests allow companies to stay private for longer, or forever.
    Aman Ghei, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The examples of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, where life after revolution is replete with bitterness and recrimination, are profoundly discouraging.
    Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Blessed with tender skins and jammy interiors, fresh figs can offset the tang of tomatoes and bitterness of salad greens.
    Emily Saladino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Holding the younger [child] back will definitely create animosity for her older sibling.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2025
  • Viktor Kovalenko, a Ukrainian veteran who produces the Ukraine Decoded Substack, told Newsweek on Monday that there is a high level of animosity between Putin and Zelensky.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Things change, and antagonisms and jealousies and resentments that weren’t there before emerge.
    Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Heading in, Republicans don’t seem eager to echo the antagonism from the right.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • With Miguel Herrán and Arón Piper starring, Vivas’ historical drama examines ideological enmity confronted by shared hardship.
    Callum McLennan, Variety, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Julie, who joined Todd in the confessional interview, noted that the enmity between their eldest children hits particularly hard, given the loss of her brother Trey Hughes in 2002.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hostility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hostility. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on hostility

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