Hostile vs. hostel: what does each word mean?

The short answer

Hostile and hostel share most of their letters but belong to different parts of speech and different meanings entirely. Hostile is an adjective describing unfriendly, aggressive, or opposed behavior or conditions, as in a hostile response or a hostile takeover. Hostel is a noun for a low-cost, often shared lodging for travelers, students, or people in need of temporary housing, usually with bunk beds and shared bathrooms rather than private ones.

• Hostile: unfriendly, aggressive, or opposed
• Hostel: a budget lodging with shared rooms

What each word means

Hostile comes from the same root as hostility and describes an attitude, action, or environment that is antagonistic or unwelcoming. A hostile crowd is one that is openly against someone, a hostile witness resists the side that called them, and a hostile climate can describe harsh weather or, figuratively, a workplace or market that is difficult and unwelcoming to operate in.

Hostel describes a specific kind of accommodation, usually cheaper than a hotel, often with shared rooms and bathrooms, popular with backpackers, students, and travelers on a budget. Youth hostels and hiking hostels both fall under this meaning, and many also offer private rooms alongside dormitory-style beds for guests who want more privacy.

Hostile and hostel in context

The committee gave the proposal a hostile reception, not: the committee gave the proposal a hostel reception. The sentence describes an unfriendly, resistant attitude toward an idea, so hostile fits, while hostel would be nonsensical since a reception in this sense is an attitude, not a building or a room that can be booked.

We booked a bed in a hostel near the train station, not: we booked a bed in a hostile near the train station. The sentence describes a specific place to sleep for the night, so hostel is the correct noun; hostile is an adjective and cannot stand in for a noun naming a building at all.

Common mistakes to avoid

Because hostile and hostel differ by only one letter, typing errors are the most common cause of mix-ups, especially when writing quickly on a phone or under a deadline. Reading the sentence back and asking whether it describes an attitude or a building is usually enough to catch the error before it is published, sent, or printed on a sign or brochure.

• Hostile is always an adjective describing an attitude or condition
• Hostel is always a noun naming a place to stay
• Double-check the final letter when typing quickly

Remember it

Hostel ends the same way as hotel, and both words name a place you can book a room in for the night. Hostile ends like the word vile, which itself suggests something unpleasant or unfriendly, matching the negative feeling the word describes. Linking hostel to hotel, and hostile to vile, gives each word its own separate memory hook that is easy to recall later.