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

Trump's appearance also highlighted a key talking point, the assumption that Harris is unwilling to do interviews to discuss her record with unfriendly media. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

Constant exposure to the unfriendly and immunosuppressive environment around the tumor impairs white blood T cells and forces them into an exhausted, dysfunctional state. —William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024

Dane County is not only increasingly unfriendly turf for Republicans, but its electoral clout keeps growing. —Craig Gilbert, Journal Sentinel, 1 Oct. 2024

After reporting the incident to the production manager, Depardieu was asked to apologize to her but instead made unfriendly remarks about her during the rest of the shoot. —Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

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