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

The public markets have typically been unfriendly to gun retailers. —Sara Fischer, Axios, 24 Mar. 2025

From the reins of his sun chariot high above everything, Helios could see a group of small children a few miles away that were having a very unfriendly encounter with a really hungry lion. —Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2025

Trump’s steps prompted speculation that Orban would be emboldened and clamp down on media deemed to be unfriendly. —Reuters, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2025

Some in the audience blurted comments to Hageman, though this was not unfriendly territory for Trump. —Hannah Schoenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 16 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