Meaning & use

hostile

adjective·Academic

Unfriendly and aggressive, showing opposition or ill will toward someone or something.

See it in a sentence

The crowd grew hostile after the referee's controversial final decision.

Relations between the two neighboring countries had been hostile for decades.

A note on using this word

"Hostile" is often paired with "toward" or "to" and describes attitude, not necessarily physical violence.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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