Meaning & use
hostile
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Unfriendly and opposed to someone or something, showing anger or ill will.
Grammar: Often before a noun or after be/seem: a hostile crowd; the crowd was hostile.
Patterns
- hostile to something
- hostile toward someone
- hostile environment
- hostile crowd
The review was hostile to the new policy.
She faced a hostile crowd outside the meeting.
His tone became openly hostile during the debate.
adjectivenot comparablemilitary
Connected with fighting, war, or an enemy force.
Grammar: Common in military news before words like forces, territory, and fire.
Patterns
- hostile forces
- hostile territory
- come under hostile fire
- hostile act
The convoy entered hostile territory at night.
Aid workers came under hostile fire near the border.
The ship was seized in a hostile act.
adjectivenot comparablebusinessfinance
Relating to a takeover or bid made against the wishes of a company's leaders.
Grammar: Fixed business phrase: a hostile bid or hostile takeover.
Patterns
- hostile takeover
- hostile bid
- hostile approach
- launch a hostile bid
The firm launched a hostile bid for its smaller rival.
Investors feared a hostile takeover would cut jobs.
The board rejected the hostile approach.
Common combinations
- hostile to change
- The committee was surprisingly hostile to change.
- hostile environment
- A hostile environment can make workers afraid to speak.
- hostile takeover
- The hostile takeover bid failed after shareholders objected.
- hostile crowd
- Security guided him away from the hostile crowd.
Synonyms and how they differ
- antagonistic
- Antagonistic stresses active opposition; hostile can range from cold unfriendliness to aggression.
- aggressive
- Aggressive stresses attack or force; hostile stresses unfriendly opposition.
- unfriendly
- Unfriendly is milder and general; hostile suggests stronger ill will.
- adversarial
- Adversarial is formal and describes a conflict-based relationship, often legal or political.
Opposites
Word family
- hostility noun
- Unfriendly or aggressive opposition.
- hostilely adverb
- In a hostile manner; uncommon.
- hostilities plural noun
- Acts of war or fighting.
Commonly confused: hostile or hospital?
hostile vs hospital
Hospital is a place for medical care; hostile means unfriendly or opposed.
Practice
The company made a hostile ___ for the smaller firm.
Choose one answer.
A hostile takeover is an unwanted bid for control of a company; merger, contract, and apology do not have this fixed business meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hostile”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.