Adjacent Words

Hostile definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

HOS'TILE, a. [L. hostilis, from hostis, an enemy, that is, a foreigner.]
1. Belonging to a public enemy; designating enmity, particularly public enmity, or a state of war; inimical; as a hostile band or army; a hostile force; hostile intentions.
2. Possessed by a public enemy; as a hostile country.
3. Adverse; opposite; unfriendly. [But the word is not properly applied to private enmity, or mere unfriendliness.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: characterized by enmity or ill will; "a hostile nation"; "a hostile remark"; "hostile actions" [ant: amicable]
2: not belonging to your own country's forces or those of an ally; "hostile naval and air forces" [ant: friendly]
3: impossible to bring into friendly accord; "hostile factions"
4: very unfavorable to life or growth; "a hostile climate"; "an uncongenial atmosphere"; "an uncongenial soil"; "the unfriendly environment at high altitudes" [syn: hostile, uncongenial, unfriendly]
5: unsolicited and resisted by the management of the target company ( used of attempts to buy or take control of a business); "hostile takeover"; "hostile tender offer"; "hostile bid" n
1: troops belonging to the enemy's military forces; "the platoon ran into a pack of hostiles" [ant: friendly]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin hostilis, from hostis Date: 1580 1. a. of or relating to an enemy <hostile fire> b. marked by malevolence <a hostile act> c. openly opposed or resisting <a hostile critic> <hostile to new ideas> d. (1) not hospitable <plants growing in a hostile environment> (2) having an intimidating, antagonistic, or offensive nature <a hostile workplace> 2. a. of or relating to the opposing party in a legal controversy <a hostile witness> b. adverse to the interests of a property owner or corporation management <a hostile takeover> • hostile noun • hostilely adverb

U.S. Military Dictionary

In combat and combat support operations, an identity applied to a track declared to belong to any opposing nation, party, group, or entity, which by virtue of its behavior or information collected on it such as characteristics, origin, or nationality contributes to the threat to friendly forces. See also neutral; suspect; unknown.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 of an enemy. 2 (often foll. by to) unfriendly, opposed. Phrases and idioms: hostile witness Law a witness who appears hostile to the party calling him or her and therefore untrustworthy. Derivatives: hostilely adv. Etymology: F hostile or L hostilis (as HOST(1))

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Hostile Hos"tile, a. [L. hostilis, from hostis enemy: cf. F. hostile. See Host an army.] Belonging or appropriate to an enemy; showing the disposition of an enemy; showing ill will and malevolence, or a desire to thwart and injure; occupied by an enemy or enemies; inimical; unfriendly; as, a hostile force; hostile intentions; a hostile country; hostile to a sudden change. Syn: Warlike; inimical; unfriendly; antagonistic; opposed; adverse; opposite; contrary; repugnant.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Hostile Hos"tile, n. An enemy; esp., an American Indian in arms against the whites; -- commonly in the plural. [Colloq.] --P. H. Sheridan.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. If you are hostile to another person or an idea, you disagree with them or disapprove of them, often showing this in your behaviour. Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention... The West has gradually relaxed its hostile attitude to this influential state... ADJ: oft ADJ to/towards n 2. Someone who is hostile is unfriendly and aggressive. Drinking may make a person feel relaxed and happy, or it may make her hostile, violent, or depressed... = aggressive ADJ 3. Hostile situations and conditions make it difficult for you to achieve something. If this round of talks fails, the world's trading environment is likely to become increasingly hostile. ADJ 4. A hostile takeover bid is one that is opposed by the company that is being bid for. (BUSINESS) Kingfisher launched a hostile bid for Dixons. ADJ 5. In a war, you use hostile to describe your enemy's forces, organizations, weapons, land, and activities. The city is encircled by a hostile army... = enemy ADJ: ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Inimical, unfriendly. 2. Adverse, opposite, contrary, repugnant, at variance, opposed, opposing.

Moby Thesaurus

acrid, adversary, adversative, adverse, adversive, against, aggressive, alien, allergic, antagonistic, anti, antipathetic, antithetic, antonymous, argumentative, at cross-purposes, at loggerheads, at odds, at variance, at war, averse, balancing, battling, bellicose, belligerent, bitter, bloodthirsty, bloody, bloody-minded, breakaway, caustic, chauvinist, chauvinistic, clashing, cold, colliding, combative, compensating, competitive, con, conflicting, confronting, contentious, contradicting, contradictory, contradistinct, contrapositive, contrarious, contrary, contrasted, converse, counter, counteractant, counteracting, counteractive, counterbalancing, counterpoised, countervailing, counterworking, cranky, cross, crotchety, dead against, despiteful, detrimental, differing, difficult, dim, disaccordant, disaffected, disagreeable, disagreeing, disapproving, discordant, discrepant, disenchanted, disharmonious, disinclined, displeased, disproportionate, dissentient, dissident, dissonant, divergent, dour, enemy, eyeball to eyeball, ferocious, fierce, fighting, fractious, full of fight, full of hate, grating, hard, harmful, hateful, hawkish, ill, immiscible, in opposition, inaccordant, incompatible, inconsistent, inharmonious, inhospitable, inimical, inverse, jangling, jarring, jingo, jingoish, jingoist, jingoistic, loath, malevolent, malicious, malignant, martial, militant, militaristic, military, miserable, negative, nonconformist, noncooperative, not charmed, not easy, obstinate, obverse, offensive, opponent, opposed, opposing, opposite, oppositional, oppositive, oppugnant, out of accord, out of whack, overthwart, perverse, pugnacious, put off, quarrelsome, rancorous, reactionary, recalcitrant, refractory, renitent, repugnant, resistant, reverse, revolutionary, rigorous, rival, saber-rattling, sanguinary, sanguineous, savage, scrappy, set against, sinister, soldierlike, soldierly, sore, sour, spiteful, squared off, stressful, trigger-happy, troublesome, troublous, truculent, trying, uncongenial, uncooperative, unfavorable, unfriendly, unharmonious, unpacific, unpeaceable, unpeaceful, unpropitious, unsympathetic, untoward, variant, venomous, virulent, vitriolic, warlike, warmongering, warring, wretched