# hostility

/hɑˈstɪɫəti/ (US) · /həstˈɪlɪti/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hostility
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. unfriendliness or anger

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a strong feeling of unfriendliness or disagreement toward someone or something.

For teachers: 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'.

### 2. military fighting

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

acts of fighting in a war.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- There was a lot of hostility between the two rival teams.
- The speaker faced open hostility from the audience, who interrupted her speech with loud shouts and boos.
- Despite the formal peace treaty, a deep-seated hostility remained between the neighboring regions, fueled by decades of territorial disputes and cultural misunderstandings.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.