Word
hostility
Phoneticshos·til·i·ty, stress on the second syllable
US/hɑˈstɪɫəti/
UK/həstˈɪlɪti/
In Japanese
hostility; antagonism; opposition
Japanese from JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR. All sources.
Definitions
01unfriendliness or anger
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Formal
n. a strong feeling of unfriendliness or disagreement toward someone or something.
n. the state of being hostile; an antagonistic or unfriendly attitude or disposition.
“There was a lot of hostility between the two neighbors after the fence was built.”
“The proposed changes to the contract met with open hostility from the union representatives during the initial negotiations.”
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'toward' or 'towards'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02military fighting
C1 · Advanced Plural noun Formal
n. acts of fighting in a war.
n. hostile behavior or direct military action; frequently used in the plural to denote active warfare.
“The two countries agreed to end all hostility and sign a peace treaty.”
“The sudden outbreak of hostilities along the border forced the international community to intervene before the conflict escalated further.”
Usage
Commonly appears in the plural form 'hostilities' when referring to a state of war.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “hostility” in context.
Verb
01. encounter hostility
“The proposed changes to the tax law encountered significant hostility from the business community.”
verb + noun
02. harbor hostility toward
“Despite their professional rivalry, she insisted she harbored no personal hostility toward her predecessor.”
verb + noun + prep
03. provoke hostility
“The politician's inflammatory remarks were clearly designed to provoke hostility among the voters.”
verb + noun
04. suspend hostilities
“Both sides agreed to suspend hostilities for forty-eight hours to allow for humanitarian aid.”
verb + noun
Adjective
05. deep-seated hostility
“The conflict is fueled by deep-seated hostility that dates back several generations.”
adj + noun
06. open hostility
“The initial politeness between the two rivals eventually gave way to open hostility.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. cessation of hostilities
“The UN council called for an immediate cessation of hostilities to prevent further civilian casualties.”
noun + of + noun
08. outbreak of hostilities
“The sudden outbreak of hostilities along the border caught the international community by surprise.”
noun + of + noun
09. hostility toward women
Real-World Examples
“We have already seen with the Rwanda scheme how policies once considered unthinkable can be pushed dangerously far when politicians choose headlines and hostility over real solutions to human needs.” “Rightwing parties continue to make hostility to migrants part of their core offer to voters, and will seek to capitalise on what will be presented as “Black Lives Matter gone mad”.” Etymology
From Middle English hostilitie, hostilite, from Old French hostilité, from Latin hostīlitās. By surface analysis, hostile + -ity.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990EikenEikenTest in Practical English ProficiencyThe English proficiency test from the Eiken Foundation of Japan, widely taken by Japanese students. Grades run from 5 to 1, with Pre-1 and Pre-2 between them.Grade 1
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/hostility
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0