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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hostile
Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
According to employment lawyer Richard Johnson, partner and co-founder of Ascent Law in Vancouver, Canada, employers have a duty to intervene when gossip creates a hostile or humiliating work environment.
—Jason Walker Psyd, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
At one point, the hearing shifted to concerns about hostile, belittling comments that Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made about America’s European allies.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025
They have been sent here by the hostile Maduro regime in Venezuela.
—Nicole Brown Chau, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hostile
Adjective
Critics have accused Lai's Beijing-skeptic government of overreach, and of advancing a hostile agenda against China.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
According to employment lawyer Richard Johnson, partner and co-founder of Ascent Law in Vancouver, Canada, employers have a duty to intervene when gossip creates a hostile or humiliating work environment.
—Jason Walker Psyd, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
At one point, the hearing shifted to concerns about hostile, belittling comments that Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made about America’s European allies.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025
They have been sent here by the hostile Maduro regime in Venezuela.
—Nicole Brown Chau, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hostile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hostile
Adjective
-
There has been quite a bit of negative activity around libraries, specifically around organized groups, introducing legislation to limit people’s access to materials in library collections.—
J.M. Banks,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Careful application and timing are important to minimize negative environmental impacts.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This line of thinking drives our perception of an unfavorable risk skew, which leads to the third recurring theme: diversification.—
Jeffrey Schulze,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Why would foreigners accept such an unfavorable deal?—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Over the past few weeks, President Trump has used executive orders to wage war on law firms, specifically targeting those whose lawyers have investigated or sued him, or represented his enemies in court.—
Michael Barbaro,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
-
After an all-out war between Jacob and his enemies, scores of lifeless bodies are left on the platform in a win for the current and future Duttons, including that of Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn).—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The foreign material could pose serious adverse health consequences, leading the FSIS to consider the recall a Class I—the agency's highest level of alert.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
7 Apr. 2025
-
And while the metal is usually excreted from the body, and most people experience no adverse side effects, previous research has shown some gadolinium particles have been left behind.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Our biochemical response to that type of stress is to release cortisol which eventually leads to the harmful downstream effects on our bodies, such as high blood pressure.—
Andrea Kane,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Make sure to not add dyes or sweeteners, which can be harmful to hummingbirds.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
That’s precisely why Boston is a matchup problem for nearly every opponent, but especially those with traditional drop-coverage big men.—
Shane Young,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
-
If the season ended Thursday night, the teams would be first-round opponents, though the seeding shuffling is far from over.—
Khobi Price,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The satirical series spoofed late-night shows, with Space Ghost often having antagonistic, openly hostile interviews with real, non-animated celebrity guests.—
James Mercadante,
EW.com,
1 Apr. 2025
-
With President Trump’s fairly antagonistic relationship with (most) electric vehicles and a possible end of tax incentives of EV buyers, the move to release Also into the wild might be timely if the vehicles are manufactured in the U.S. and not affected by tariffs.—
William Roberson,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
My body, equipped with the primordial fear of starvation, was a formidable foe.—
Emma Pattee,
Glamour,
25 Mar. 2025
-
Still, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was impressed with his Yankees foes.—
Brendan Kuty,
The Athletic,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hostile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hostile. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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