inhospitable

adjective

in·​hos·​pi·​ta·​ble ˌin-(ˌ)hä-ˈspi-tə-bəl  (ˌ)in-ˈhä-(ˌ)spi- 

1

: not showing hospitality : not friendly or receptive

2

: providing no shelter or sustenance

an inhospitable environment

inhospitableness noun

inhospitably

ˌin-(ˌ)hä-ˈspi-tə-blē 

(ˌ)in-ˈhä-(ˌ)spi-

adverb

Synonyms

• adversarial
• adversary
• antagonistic
• antipathetic
• hostile
• inimical
• jaundiced
• mortal
• negative
• unfriendly
• unsympathetic

Examples of inhospitable in a Sentence

It's very inhospitable of him to be so rude to strangers.

the proposal received an unexpectedly inhospitable response from the city council

Recent Examples on the Web

In Antarctica, the birds’ nutrient-rich guano allows mosses and other organisms to flourish in an otherwise inhospitable place. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2025

Studying its adaptations could lead to breakthroughs in cryopreservation, medicine and even astrobiology—fields that seek to understand how life can endure in the most inhospitable places, from Antarctica to distant icy moons. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025

She is seen here leading her team on a mission into the darkness of a volcanic lava tube in Hawaii in search of information about how life can exist in such an inhospitable place — and how that might relate to living in space. —Diane Cole, NPR, 8 Mar. 2025

Pattinson is Mickey Barnes, an expendable worker who’s sent to an inhospitable planet far out in space to colonize it. —Jordan Moreau, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

inhospitable

adjective

in·​hos·​pi·​ta·​ble ˌin-(ˌ)häs-ˈpit-ə-bəl  (ˈ)in-ˈhäs-(ˌ)pit- 

1

: not friendly or generous : not showing hospitality

2

: providing no shelter or food : barren

an inhospitable desert

inhospitably

-blē 

adverb

inhospitality

(ˌ)in-ˌhäs-pə-ˈtal-ət-ē

noun