hostile

CEFRC1

/ˈhɒstaɪl/

adjective · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Unfriendly and ready to argue, fight, or oppose someone.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Aggressive; antagonistic.

Examples

  • Everybody took a hostile attitude toward illegal aliens.

  • The Soviet Union took a hostile attitude toward us.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
1
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /ˈhɒstəl/

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Not friendly; appropriate to an enemy; showing the disposition of an enemy; showing ill will and malevolence or a desire to thwart and injure.

  2. Being or relating to a hostile takeover.

noun

Extra meaning

  1. An enemy.

More examples

In context

  • The speaker got a hostile reception from the audience.

  • a hostile country

  • a hostile force

Synonyms

Antonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

When the man approached, the dog became blank and bared its teeth.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

Borrowed from Middle French hostile, from Latin hostīlis, from hostis (“enemy”). Displaced Old English fēondlīċ.