Synonym Chooser

How does the noun animus differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of animus are animosity, antagonism, antipathy, enmity, hostility, and rancor. While all these words mean "deep-seated dislike or ill will," animus adds to animosity the implication of strong prejudice.

objections devoid of personal animus

When is animosity a more appropriate choice than animus?

The synonyms animosity and animus are sometimes interchangeable, but animosity suggests intense ill will and vindictiveness that threaten to kindle hostility.

animosity that led to revenge

How do antipathy and antagonism relate to one another, in the sense of animus?

Both antipathy and antagonism imply a natural or logical basis for one's hatred or dislike, antipathy suggesting repugnance, a desire to avoid or reject, and antagonism suggesting a clash of temperaments leading readily to hostility.

a natural antipathy for self-seekers
antagonism between the brothers

When would enmity be a good substitute for animus?

The words enmity and animus can be used in similar contexts, but enmity suggests positive hatred which may be open or concealed.

an unspoken enmity

When might hostility be a better fit than animus?

While in some cases nearly identical to animus, hostility suggests an enmity showing itself in attacks or aggression.

hostility between the two nations

When is it sensible to use rancor instead of animus?

While the synonyms rancor and animus are close in meaning, rancor is especially applied to bitter brooding over a wrong.

rancor filled every line of his letters

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of animus Ireland is not our enemy, even if our president abuses it with his bewildering animus to free nations. Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2025 Part of the animus was revenge for 14 years of civil war that took a particularly heavy toll on Sunnis. Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Mar. 2025 Mangione's writings and words on bullets recovered from the scene reflected animus toward health insurers and corporate America, authorities have said. CBS News, 25 Mar. 2025 Trump in his first term expressed animus against protesters, particularly when social justice demonstrations arrived across the street from the White House gates. Andy Rose, CNN, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for animus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for animus
Noun
  • Stolarz’s inclination to shout instructions at teammates on the ice, often with serious levels of hostility in the name of competition, comes to him naturally.
    Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Datta writes that Indians had faced violent treatment at the hands of Japanese forces, even if the Chinese community bore the brunt of the Japanese hostility.
    H.M.A. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • An armed man accused of walking into a Walgreens location in California and shooting an employee to death this week allegedly had a grudge against corporate pharmacies, police said.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Theater owners gathered inside the Colosseum Theater at Caesar’s Palace on Monday didn’t seem to hold any grudges, and gave a warm welcome to the exec.
    Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • That ecstatic communal experience is a glorious moment of freedom for oppressed people, most of them living hand-to-mouth in an environment of hatred and exploitation.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
  • In fact, her personal hatred of gripping challenges even served as her Survivor hot take below.
    Dalton Ross, EW.com, 10 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Animus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/animus. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on animus

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!