1
as in hostile
marked by opposition or ill will
received an inimical response rather than the anticipated support
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in adverse
opposed to one's interests
laws designed to enhance national security that some regard as inimical to cherished freedoms
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inimical
For one, the United States would be in a stronger position to prevent Israel from annexing the West Bank, a move that is inimical to U.S. interests and Palestinian rights.
—
Andrew P. Miller, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2025
Or reform of a tax system that is complex, regressive, and inimical to growth.
—Anand Menon, Time, 18 Oct. 2025
The spiral of silence therefore becomes inimical to pluralistic debate, discussion and, ultimately, to democracy itself.
—James L. Gibson, The Conversation, 26 June 2025
The partnership model’s annual distribution of funds is inimical to long-term investment.
—Mark A. Cohen, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inimical
Andrew P. Miller, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2025
Or reform of a tax system that is complex, regressive, and inimical to growth.
—Anand Menon, Time, 18 Oct. 2025
The spiral of silence therefore becomes inimical to pluralistic debate, discussion and, ultimately, to democracy itself.
—James L. Gibson, The Conversation, 26 June 2025
The partnership model’s annual distribution of funds is inimical to long-term investment.
—Mark A. Cohen, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inimical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inimical
Adjective
-
Weiss and Tom Cibrowski were openly hostile from the start.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
-
The Space Force budget has grown significantly in recent years, and one of its mandates is countering spying and potentially hostile acts by Russian and Chinese spacecraft in these orbits.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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DeVries also feels that seniors should not hesitate to file police reports to document adverse incidents.—
Karie Angell Luc,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
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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
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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
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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
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The agreement was immediately challenged in Kenya’s High Court, with opponents criticizing it for unfavorable terms.—
Larry Madowo,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
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Wasserman Schultz’s overall rating among Democratic voters in the district, with 80% favorable and 13% unfavorable, is a net positive of 67 percentage points.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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However, be careful when choosing which plants to prune, as getting the timing wrong can be detrimental.—
Helena Madden,
Martha Stewart,
1 June 2026
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In this instance, using the AI advice could be detrimental to their livelihood.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Adjective
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Platforms will be required to introduce safety-by-design features, including protections against manipulative design that encourages compulsive use, and take action against underage accounts and harmful content.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
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In addition to being harmful to humans, certain types of mushrooms can be poisonous to pets if consumed.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inimical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inimical. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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