1
as in hostile
marked by opposition or ill will
received an inimical response rather than the anticipated support
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in adverse
opposed to one's interests
laws designed to enhance national security that some regard as inimical to cherished freedoms
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inimical
No mainstream party can credibly claim to stand against the role of the military in politics, and many are convinced that doing so would be inimical to their political survival.
—
Sarah Khan, Foreign Affairs, 5 Mar. 2024
Taiwan is dedicated to continuing to embed itself in the West, a process that is inimical to China’s interests.
—David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 10 Jan. 2024
Authoritarianism and central planning were thought to be naturally inimical to fresh ideas.
—Matt Sheehan, Foreign Affairs, 21 Apr. 2022
The judicial right is not about to jettison its hostility to regulations inimical to its business, financial, and political allies.
—Simon Lazarus, The New Republic, 2 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for inimical 
Sarah Khan, Foreign Affairs, 5 Mar. 2024
Taiwan is dedicated to continuing to embed itself in the West, a process that is inimical to China’s interests.
—David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 10 Jan. 2024
Authoritarianism and central planning were thought to be naturally inimical to fresh ideas.
—Matt Sheehan, Foreign Affairs, 21 Apr. 2022
The judicial right is not about to jettison its hostility to regulations inimical to its business, financial, and political allies.
—Simon Lazarus, The New Republic, 2 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for inimical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inimical
Adjective
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Instead, she was hounded out of the classroom by authorities hostile to Western literature.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2025
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Last year, Trump's predecessor Joe Biden fired the inspector general of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, after an investigation found the official had created a hostile work environment.—
Riley Beggin,
USA TODAY,
25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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There will be no adverse consequences for timely reporting this information.—
Jackson Walker,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Jan. 2025
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The addition of seaweed improved beef cattle growth rates with no adverse health effects.—
Heide Brandes,
thehustle.co,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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That may only trigger the negative tipping processes.—
Andy Extance,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2025
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Nearby residents have endured years of negative health impacts, including higher-than-average rates of lung cancer in the surrounding county, polluted air, and environmental degradation — all while thousands of tons of trash is trucked in and piled on to the mountain of garbage each day.—
Ryan Castalia,
New York Daily News,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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And in the real world, government actors try every trick possible to evade an unfavorable judgment.—
James S. Burling,
National Review,
23 Jan. 2025
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Advertisement Anxiety is mounting that U.S. President Trump might seek to quickly end the war in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on terms that are unfavorable to Ukraine, or once again refuse to defend European allies who do not boost their military budgets.—
Lorne Cook,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Such responses hinder the efficacy of gene editing treatments and could also be detrimental, eliminating the cells targeted for modification.—
William A. Haseltine,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
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But at his worst, these game-breaking qualities can be detrimental.—
Elias Burke,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Market intervention is always and everywhere harmful simply because markets are people.—
John Tamny,
Forbes,
19 Jan. 2025
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In an October 2022 article in the Montreal Gazette, Bryn Austin, a professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, highlighted how BMI can lead to harmful outcomes.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Inimical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inimical. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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