What does "hostile" mean?
An enemy.
Hostile
/ˈhɒstaɪl/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An enemy.
- Grammar: hostile is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: acrid, acrimonious, adversarial, adversary.
- Useful contrasts: aloof, cooperative, friendly.
- Usage evidence: Everybody took a hostile attitude toward illegal aliens.
How to use "hostile"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "hostile" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "hostile" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "hostile" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "hostile" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "hostile" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "acrid" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "hostile", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An enemy. in-plural
"The Japanese got their attack in first. About ten minutes after passing the U.S. aircraft, they spotted Hornet (local weather patterns temporarily concealing Enterprise). Things had improved a little bit compared to the Eastern Solomons, and three dozen F4F Wildcats on combat air patrol were vectored onto the oncoming hostiles, but once that initial task was accomplished, things began to collapse back into the cacophony and chaos that was all too familiar to those aboard the Enterprise, meaning that the end result was round about the same[…]"
- 2 troops belonging to the enemy's military forces wordnet
Adjective
- 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.
"a hostile force"
- 2 Aggressive; antagonistic.
- 3 Unwilling.
- 4 Being or relating to a hostile takeover. not-comparable
"Microsoft may go hostile in its bid for Yahoo! as soon as Friday, according to a published report."
Adjective
- 1 unsolicited and resisted by the management of the target company (used of attempts to buy or take control of a business) wordnet
- 2 not belonging to your own country's forces or those of an ally wordnet
- 3 very unfavorable to life or growth wordnet
- 4 characterized by enmity or ill will wordnet
- 5 impossible to bring into friendly accord wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"Everybody took a hostile attitude toward illegal aliens."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "hostile"?
Common synonyms include: acrid, acrimonious, adversarial, adversary, adversary, adversative.
How do you use "hostile" in a sentence?
Everybody took a hostile attitude toward illegal aliens.
How do you pronounce "hostile"?
Pronounced /ˈhɒstaɪl/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French hostile, from Latin hostīlis, from hostis (“enemy”). Displaced Old English fēondlīċ.