unfriendly

adjective

un·​friend·​ly ˌən-ˈfren(d)-lē 

: not friendly: such as

a

: hostile, unsympathetic

an unfriendly nation

b

: inhospitable, unfavorable

Synonyms

• antiseptic
• arctic
• brittle
• chill
• chilly
• clammy
• cold
• cold-blooded
• cold-eyed
• coldish
• cool
• frigid
• frosty
• frozen
• gelid
• glacial
• hard-eyed
• icy
• uncordial
• unsympathetic
• wintry
• wintery

Examples of unfriendly in a Sentence

They were very unfriendly to us.

the unfriendly looks quickly warmed when we were recognized as long-unseen relatives

Recent Examples on the Web

Francis and Fernández de Kirchner were unfriendly neighbors in Plaza de Mayo, the central square that hosts both the government headquarters and the cathedral where Francis delivered homilies during much of her presidency from 2007 to 2015. —Almudena Calatrava and Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025

Business Climate The state’s regulatory and political environment is viewed as unfriendly to the oil and gas industry. —Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025

Such dogs are often viewed as aggressive and unfriendly, conjuring up fear. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025

And the big majority calls Russia either an enemy or unfriendly. —CBS News, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unfriendly

• friendly

Kids Definition

unfriendly

adjective

un·​friend·​ly ˌən-ˈfren-(d)lē 

1

: not friendly or kind : hostile

an unfriendly greeting

2

: not agreeable

an unfriendly environment

unfriendliness noun