1
as in negative
marked by opposition or ill will
the suggestions for change were given a hostile reception by some of the longtime employees
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unfavorable
opposed to one's interests
the company's president vows to fight the hostile takeover by the giant corporation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in enemy
one that is hostile toward another
reports of hostiles in the area kept the settlers on edge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hostile
David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Venus, despite being similar to Earth in size and composition, has an extremely hostile environment characterized by dense carbon dioxide, thick sulfuric acid clouds, surface pressures around 90 bar, and temperatures exceeding 460°C.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
Matthew Stolle, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2026
Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello told jurors that Bushey had a history of acting hostile toward family members and that his sister’s abrupt presence in the home set him off, leading him to act out and her to fear for her safety.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hostile
Adjective
As soon as the door closed, Chalker began hammering Bernadine with hostile questions.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Venus, despite being similar to Earth in size and composition, has an extremely hostile environment characterized by dense carbon dioxide, thick sulfuric acid clouds, surface pressures around 90 bar, and temperatures exceeding 460°C.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
But no one has just been out-and-out hostile to him.
—Matthew Stolle, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2026
Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello told jurors that Bushey had a history of acting hostile toward family members and that his sister’s abrupt presence in the home set him off, leading him to act out and her to fear for her safety.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hostile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hostile
Adjective
-
Court records and large-scale studies indicate that elite colleges’ race-aware and holistic admissions systems have operated as a negative factor for Asian American applicants, contributing to lower admission/attendance odds than similarly qualified white applicants.—
David Blobaum,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
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Apple’s latest iPhone software update is drawing attention—some of which is negative—not just for its incremental upgrades, but also for a shift in how users interact with one of its core apps.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Missing the deadline can lock beneficiaries into unfavorable drug coverage for the year.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
But soon after, the city offered different rulings unfavorable to the Eddses as to where the boundaries are and where the couple could develop.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Person after person portrayed Democrats as the enemy trying to drive a wedge between conservatives in an election year, where Republicans want to keep control of Congress and win races up and down the ballot.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Swalwell was among those named by Patel, who has said that his critics are mischaracterizing the appendix by calling it an enemies list.—
Perry Stein The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Whether to report adverse events — illnesses or deaths potentially related to the products — to the FDA is largely at manufacturers’ discretion.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Fugitives are allowed the first shot lest the officer face investigation, charges, interrogation by attorneys, and even adverse public opinion.—
Dave Duffey,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The same jury acquitted Lopez of more than a dozen other charges and hung on five counts of sending harmful material to a minor.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
While the video amused viewers, experts warn that repeatedly hitting the snooze button can be harmful.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And yet the first half Sunday felt worse, because of the appalling volume of wide open Pacers three-pointers and the poor quality of the injury-riddled opponent.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
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The Heat have gone 23-22 against Eastern Conference opponents.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Marius’ character was a bit of a plot twist, being one of the more openly antagonistic characters, in the beginning, at least.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2026
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Ultimately, even when she’s supposed to play the most antagonistic female archetype, Darlene is simply too much of a mood and a vibe, and her fundamentally anti-Karen nature is good for TV but bad for the judging criteria in this challenge.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The teams are potential first-round playoff foes, depending on how high the 10th-place Hornets can climb in the conference standings.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
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That sounds more like a right-wing foe of public financing than a supporter.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hostile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hostile. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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